The hero, the broken, the saviour
by canihavea-soda
Summary: Three triangles. The great power of a forgotten land. And now, the Great Sea is under threat, and two, one Hylian, one Sheikah, will set out to protect it. But the legends of a disappeared Hero play upon the minds of many...
1. Rufus: The Outset

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Disclaimer:Promptly explodes: For the last time…they aren't mine. _

_Now, onto a brief outline of the story: We will be beginning in the Wind-waker universe. I will naturally be adding a few other characters, as I am wont to do. Then, we will progress to the universe of Link, the Hero of Time, after the events of Hyrule and Termina. If I tell you much more than that, it's going to give the plot away. However, I will say that I've decided to call the main character from Wind-waker 'Rufus', because, well, he just isn't 'Link' in my eyes. I'm awkward, I know…_

_Well, here we go. First person (surprise, surprise!) Thoughts, are naturally, in italics, thoughts in : single colons : _

* * *

**_Rufus: The Outset_**

:I can't believe I managed to forget it was my birthday: I thought in amazement as I hurried down the ladder from the lookout, to the quay below. Aryll's giggles at my forgetfulness drifted down after me, and I grinned. It was a pretty stupid thing to do, come to think of it! It wasn't as if anything much ever happened on Outset that could have made me forget… Maybe my mind tried to make me forget, so that I wouldn't be home in time to be given the special coming-of-age clothes I was going to have to wear. How many other islands would consider you a man at thirteen anyway? I couldn't think of any off of the top of my head, and whilst I was dreading wearing them, at least it was only for one day – and I still had my party to look forward to, at least.

I ran along the sun-bleached wood of the quay and back onto the smaller of the two islands that made up the home I'd known all my life – on the other island, I could see the merchant, Beedle, tying up his boat, and settling down for his usual rest of two or three days. Every six months, he'd come and barter at Outset, and he always had interesting things to sell. Maybe after I'd seen Grandma, I could go and see what he had to sell – I had a few rupees that I'd saved up that I could buy things with.

But, for now, I had to hurry, or Grandma might begin to get worried about me. I hopped onto the bridge between the two islands, and Joel came running over to me. :Oh Gods, what does he want this time: I wondered, as I smiled down at the kid. :Lucky – you've got a good few years before you have to go through what I'm about to go through: I thought with annoyance. "Hello Joel," I said, smiling slightly, and bending my knees to slouch down to his level.

"Hi Rufus! Happy birthday! Me and mom and dad and Zill got you a present – but, mom's still wrapping it, so I guess we'll have to give it to you later at the party, huh, huh?" He spoke so quickly (like always) that it took me a few seconds to figure out what he had said.

"Oh, right. Well, thank you in advance for the gift then!" I stood up straight again, and was about to carry on across the bridge when he tugged on my shirt. "Yeah?"

"I was just wondering if you could reach that rock out there," Joel said, and he looked at the stack of rock that was poking out of the water on the left of the bridge. "You see, 'cos Zill and I were playing, and then he knocked me, and my slingshot kinda landed over there," he pointed, and then looked down guiltily at the ground. "And mom would be mad if she knew…" he trailed off, and then looked at me hopefully.

:Ever the hero to the rescue, hey Rufus old boy: my mind thought with a smirk. It certainly did seem that way recently. However, as I didn't want Joel's mom to tell him off (because, well, she's pretty scary), I agreed to get the slingshot for him. "Sure, I'll be right back." And then, I jumped easily across to the stack, and threw the slingshot back to him – he caught it fumblingly, and I returned to the bridge. :Well, that was easy.:

"Rufus! Oh Rufus!" I turned around to see Zill running towards me, his nose as unpleasant as always. He didn't seem able to stop, and I backed up in a panic – only to fall right off of the bridge!

I came back up to the surface and drew a huge breath, and then glared at Zill, who was looking terrified. Instead of yelling at him, I just swam to shore. At least I wouldn't have to wear these wet clothes for long… I made my way up the beach, the sand sticking to the soaking wet bottoms of my trousers.

Sadly, it didn't seem like people were going to let me alone today. Sue-Belle hailed me, "Hoy, Rufus!" she hurried over, the pot on her head swaying slightly. I smiled up at her, and blushed slightly when she returned my smile with a pretty one of her own.

"Yeah Sue-Belle? What is it?"

"I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, of course! I'll be seeing you at the party later, but I have to get going with this water now – Sturgeon needs it for one of his latest experiments."

"What is it this time?" I asked with a grin. Sturgeon was always trying some crazy experiment or other.

"Only the Gods know!" she laughed, and then started to hurry off to Sturgeon and Orca's house. "See you later Rufus!"

"See you!" I waved after her, and then turned around – I walked up the path from the beach, and then climbed up the steps onto our porch. Turning around, I could see dozens of seagulls all around the lookout, so I knew that Aryll must still be up there. I wrung out the front of my shirt, and my trousers, so that I wouldn't leave too much water on the floor when I went inside, and took one last look at Outset, in the glorious sunshine, before turning around to our front door to go and face my doom. :Girls are so lucky…:

I pushed the door open, and seeing that Grandma wasn't downstairs, I went over to the ladder that led to my and Aryll's room upstairs. "Grandma, are you up here?" I called.

"Yes Rufus, I'm here. Where have you been dear? Oh my!" she exclaimed as I reached the top of the ladder. "I did wonder why you'd been so long – did you go for a swim in your clothes?" she smiled, and I grinned.

"Sort of."

"Oh well, you're lucky you've got these to change into, aren't you?" I made a grunt, and noticing that she looked a little putout, I quickly smiled, and took the green woollen clothes she held out for me. "Time certainly flies... I can't believe you're already old enough to wear these clothes."

"They look really…nice," I said, and Grandma beamed. That made me feel a bit better. It was only for a day after all, and if it would make her happy, I wouldn't mind wearing the clothes so much. "I'll just go and get changed, all right?"

"Of course dear one – oh, hang on, I almost forgot." She hurried over to the wardrobe that Aryll kept her clothes in, and opened the door. "Beedle gave this to me the last time he stopped by Outset, since he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it back in time for your birthday or not." She came back with a parcel wrapped up in brown paper, and tied with a bit of bright red string.

"Wow…I'll have to thank him when I go back out later!" I exclaimed, lowering my arms so that she could put the package on top of my new clothes. "I'll be right back then." I went over to the door in the corner of the room, which led to the bathroom, and shut it behind me. Once inside, I dropped the package and clothes onto the floor, and got rid of my wet ones – I threw them over the towel rail so that they could dry for tomorrow, and then picked up the clothes Grandma had just given me.

:Tights: I thought in horror. I'd forgotten the tights. However, remembering Grandma's smiling face, I knew this was something I'd have to endure. :This is going to be interesting.:

"Are you all right in there, Rufus?" Grandma knocked on the door and called through five minutes later – I'd been struggling with the tights for a while now, but I seemed to be winning at last.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just taking my time."

"Oh, all right. Well, just so you know, I'm going to go back downstairs and start cooking up some soup for later."

"Is it my favourite?" I asked.

"Of course, chicken like always!" she laughed, and I smiled. I loved her chicken soup – it was always so creamy and rich. "Do come down and show me when you're done, won't you?"

"Yes Grandma." I succeeded in getting my second leg into the tights, and had at last pulled them on over my underwear. Next was the green woollen tunic. I picked it up, and held it out, seeing that there were loops for a belt; when I jiggled the tunic around a bit, sure enough, a thick brown belt fell out. The tunic was easy enough to put on, and I spent a few seconds looping the belt through, before putting it through the buckle, and ending up on the third smallest notch. It came down to my knees (for which I was grateful – I'd seen pictures of Mesa's coming-of-age day, and his tunic had been more like a shirt!) I stuffed my feet hurriedly into the brown leather ankle boots that went with the tunic, and tied up the laces.

The last thing was a hat of the same, bright green as the tunic. I picked it up, and plunked it down onto my head – looking in the mirror, I saw that it was a bit too big for me, and I had to pull it back so that it didn't fall over my eyes quite so much. Frowning, I bent down and picked up the package from Beedle. :I wish I didn't have to wear this: I left the bathroom, and went back out into mine and Aryll's bedroom. I went over to my bed, and sat down on it to undo the package.

What fell out was a pinkish skin colour, and when it flopped down from my knee onto the covers, I moved back, thinking it was alive. Poking it, however, I found out that it wasn't. I picked it up, and looked at it – and then I realised what it was. "Oh wow!" I breathed, looking at the pig-face design on the small leather bag. It was a bait bag; I'd seen them in books, and knew that they were the kind of bags that really good fishermen used. And, well, growing up on Outset, you couldn't really not love fishing – it was always so relaxing, and I could have competitions with the other kids on the island.

Remembering that I'd promised to show Grandma when I was done, I used the drawstring ties on the bag to tie it to my belt-loops, and then climbed down to the first floor. "Grandma, I'm done." She turned around from the stove, and her face cracked into one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen!

"Oh, Rufus, they suit you perfectly! A perfect fit as well!" I had to agree with her there – they did fit snugly, and they weren't as warm as I feared they would be.

"Thank you Grandma, they're lovely," I bent down and hugged her. "Shall I go and get Aryll for you, so she can help you with the preparations?" I winked, and she nodded, still smiling broadly.

"That'd be lovely dear! Go off and play for a little while, and I'll call you when we're all ready."

"Bye Grandma!" I left our house, and stepped out onto the porch. Since there were still loads and loads of seagulls around the lookout, I knew Aryll was still there. But, seeing Beedle sitting on the top of his boat, and sunbathing, I decided on a detour. "Hey, Beedle!" I called across to him, and he jumped slightly, before turning around to look at me.

"Oh, hello there Rufus!" he bared his few remaining teeth at me in what I supposed was meant to be a smile. "Happy birthday – a young man now, is it?" I just nodded. "Did you get that gift I left with your Grandma?"

"Yeah, I did thanks. It's really good, thank you so much!"

"You do realise that you're going to need some bait to go in that bag though, don't you?" he hopped off of the roof of his boat, and stepped from the worn wood onto the sand next to me. "I'll give you a few portions for free, but, when you run out, you'll have to buy some more. I can't give out free stuff to everyone all the time, after all!" he ducked into his floating shop, and was out again almost immediately, with a handful of some brown, odd-smelling pellets. "Here you are – some premium bait!"

I held out the bait-bag, with the neck open, and he thrust the handful of bait inside. "Thanks!"

"Don't mention it. I'll be seeing you later at the party, if I'm invited that is…"

"Of course you're invited! Everybody is – I'll see you there. But, I have to go and get my sister now, so I'd better hurry."

"Of course, of course. See you later lad."

"Bye." I walked back up the beach, so that I could walk on the proper path again – it was quite difficult to walk on sand in my new boots. As I walked past Sturgeon and Orca's house, Orca waved at me, and I waved back with a smile. They may have been brothers, but the two men were about as alike as a bird and a fish! Sturgeon was always carrying out experiments, or reading, or stargazing or something, and Orca was always practicing his sword-skills. He'd given me a few lessons actually, but Grandma didn't really want me to have a sword, so he wouldn't give me one.

Luckily, Joel and Zill weren't still out on the bridge, so I didn't have to fear falling into the sea again, or either one of them trying to act all 'cool' and 'grownup' around me. :Sometimes it really sucks being the oldest kid here… I wish we could live on Windfall Island; then there'd be lots of other kids.: It was just a fleeting thought though – I'd never even left Outset, and the idea was sort of scary! And, there was apparently a school on Windfall island as well – Abe and Mesa had both been sent away to school there, and apparently it wasn't much fun, so I was glad I didn't have to go to school at least.

I made my way back across the quay that I had only just left about half an hour ago, and started to climb the ladder. When I reached the top, it was to find Aryll sitting on the ground, with a very large seagull sitting in front of her, and another one eating bread out of her hand. As soon as I set foot on the platform, the boots I was wearing made a loud sound, and all of the seagulls rose up into the air, startled. Aryll jumped up. "Sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to scare them off."

"That's all right," my sister smiled in that sweet way she always did. "Ah – well, hoy there anyway," she giggled. "Did Grandma make that outfit for you then?" I nodded,

"Yup."

"Aren't they a little hot?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Uh – well, actually, they're not that bad," I said, surprised at the discovery of this fact.

"Neat! Oh…well, anyway, close your eyes and hold out your hands!" I looked at her cautiously. "Oh, go on, I'm not going to do anything bad – I just want to give you your present." Warily, I closed my eyes, and stuck out my hands. "This is just for one day mind," she shoved something cool and cylindrical into my hands. "Open your eyes – happy birthday!" I opened my eyes, and looked down amazed.

"Your telescope! Are you sure Aryll? I mean, it's your favourite thing since – well, ever!" She just giggled.

"Of course I'm sure! You're my big brother after all, so you get to borrow my special gift – just promise to be careful with it!" As soon as she said this, I pretended to drop it, and she scowled, and tapped her foot on the wood of the platform. "Don't be silly big brother! Now, why don't you try it out? I'll tell you how to work it and zoom in and things!" I walked over to where she was now standing by the railings, and then put the telescope up to my eye.

"Now, point it over to the house – hey, look at that postman – he looks sort of weird, doesn't he?" I looked down at the post-box, and sure enough, there was a strange looking man taking letters out, and carrying a delivery bag over his shoulder. I fumbled with the controls, and managed to zoom in. :He has wings: "Aaah! Rufus! The sky, look at the sky!" I quickly whipped the telescope up, and managed to catch the shadow of some huge creature overhead. Zooming out a bit, I managed to see that it was a huge, black bird! And, what was worse, was that it was holding a girl in its claws!

"Oh Gods!" I breathed, watching as the bird circled above – suddenly, a cannonball came out of nowhere, followed by another one. I turned the telescope, and saw that a ship was coming towards Outset – and it was flying a pirate banner. I gulped, and looked back up at the bird.

One of the cannonballs managed to hit, and the bird squawked in pain, letting go of the girl; right over the forest! "Oh no, this is terrible! She fell right into the forest! She needs help Rufus…but it's too dangerous to go in the forest!" Aryll dug her fingers into my shoulder, and stood on her tiptoes to try and get a better look at the forest. "If only you had something to defend yourself with…" I took the telescope away from my eye, and then stuff it into my belt, so I wouldn't lose it.

"That's just given me an idea, little sister," I said, thinking very hard. "Do you think Orca might give me a sword if I tell him what's happened?" She bit her lip,

"I don't know – but, whatever you do, I think you should hurry, or that girl might get hurt!" I took her advice, and after giving her a quick hug, went over to the ladder. Since things were so urgent, I didn't bother with the rungs, and instead slid down the ladder by just holding onto the sides, going a few feet at a time to make sure I didn't go too fast. Then, as soon as I was at the bottom, I turned around, and began to run back to the bridge, and the other island, as fast as I could.

"Hoy Rufus!" Orca called as I rushed up the path towards his house. "What's wrong lad?" he asked, as soon as I was close enough for him to see my face. "Has something bad happened? Whatever it is, I can tell it's no laughing matter – what by the Gods has happened?" By that time, I was standing right in front of him, and after a few deep breaths in order to get my breath back after running all the way there, I told him what had happened. After I was done, he let out a long, low whistle.

"I know that you'll want to be going straight away, but you'll need to have some instruction before I can just let you go off with a sword into the forest alone!"

"But, that girl could be really badly hurt!" I protested, even as Orca steered me inside, and onto the training circle that took up most of his front room. "I can't waste time here, I need to go, and quickly!"

"Don't worry Rufus, this will only take a couple of minutes at most." He took the usual sword he let me practice with from the wall, and handed it to me. "Go through all of the sword swings I've shown you. Don't worry, I'm quite ready," he assured me, taking up his own staff and crouching down into a fighting position. Sighing, I went through all the moves he had taught me as quickly as I could.

Horizontal slice. Vertical slice. Thrust. Jump attack. The complicated spin attack (which I managed to pull off without getting dizzy at all). And, last of all, a couple of parries. "Very good, very good. Now that I'm sure you're ready, let's go."

"Huh?" I queried, following him out of the door.

"Do you really think I'd allow you to go into the forest alone? You could be badly hurt, and your Grandma would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you!" With that, he set off towards the bridge and the other island, with me following close behind. As we went along, he started to tell me about the sword he'd given me. I listened with interest, because he'd never bothered to tell me the story of the weapon before.

"Since the days of old, this sword had been used to fend off evil of all kinds. It's infused with the desire to be strong and righteous, which is one that I can clearly see that you also hold within yourself. After that fine display of swordsmanship, you have proved that boys can truly still become men at your age." I could feel my cheeks burn with joy at this comment. This was high praise, and from the best swordsman I'd ever seen! He even had a Knight's crest of his very own!

* * *

I'd never been into the forest before – I'd been always taught that it was forbidden to go in, and, well, it looked so scary from the outside that no one ever wanted to go in. And, well, now that I was in the forest, I could see that the outside of it didn't do it justice. There was thick mist everywhere, and the trees were hung with so much moss that it looked almost like they'd grown beards.

Orca went before me, and I could see that his staff arm was tensed. I shuffled the pommel of the Hero's sword in my left hand, and hoped I wouldn't have to use it. Sure, I was OK at fighting, but I'd only ever fought Orca; what if I ended up having to fight a monster or something:Rufus to the rescue again: I thought jovially to try and cheer myself up. It didn't really work all that well though, and I hurried to keep up with Orca – I wouldn't like to get lost in the forest.

Looking all around, I caught a glimpse of white through the trees. I pulled out Aryll's telescope and quickly zoomed in on the white thing. "Orca!" I whispered, and he whirled around. I pointed over to the white thing I'd seen, "The girl's over there." He nodded, his face solemn, and began to walk towards her. Suddenly, we came up against a cliff that had previously been obscured by the fog – she was on top of the cliff!

"Drat," Orca cursed quietly, and I looked at him in surprise. When he saw my glance, he grinned guiltily. "Sorry lad, didn't mean to…" he gestured vaguely, rather than ending the sentence, but I knew what he meant anyway. "Hmm…there's nothing to grip onto on this rock. We're going to have to find another way up there." He looked down at me with his piercing eyes. "If I go to the right, and you go to the left, one of us is bound to find a way up. Then, we can come back and get the other."

"Are you sure?" I questioned, shivering at the thought of being alone in this place. He nodded gravely, and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Be brave lad. Remember, you're a man as of today!" I nodded, and then turned to the left just as he had told me to do. "Keep your guard up." I nodded again, and then set off into the mist, hand clamped to the pommel of my sword like it was the most precious thing in the world to me. :And, well, it probably is right now.:

As I went along, I became steadily more aware of just how quiet it was without Orca's footfalls to break the silence. The only sounds I could hear were the soft crunches my boots made as I walked through the ankle deep dead leaves that littered the floor, the thudding of my heart, and my breathing, which echoed in the silent air. :Please, oh please let that girl be all right: I thought desperately, craning back – I could still just see her, off in the distance, a tiny speck of white amongst the generally green landscape.

Finally, it seemed as though I was getting somewhere, as I managed to find a place which started to go upwards. Soon, I found a rough track which bent back the way I had come, and rose steeply up the side of the cliff face I had been walking beside for the past few minutes. I hurriedly walked up it, and then took out the telescope to see where the path led – however, the mist was blocking most of the view, so I just guessed that it would eventually lead back to the girl that the huge black bird had dropped.

Remembering what Orca had said, I started to make my way back down the path, to go and get him, when I heard a shrill scream, and a loud, cracking sound. :The girl: I wheeled around and careered down the path, barely having time to register shadows as they came out of the mist and correct my course to go around them. The sword make it awkward to run, and I wished for a sheath for it – I'd have to ask Orca for one later. For now though, the girl was in trouble!

I found myself teetering on the edge of the very same cliff that we'd come up against earlier – spinning on my heel, I looked up, and saw…nothing. :Where by the Gods is she: There was another scream, and I followed the sound – my new boots caught in a root of some sort that was sticking out of the ground, and I felt myself falling forwards. "Orca! Help!" I yelled, and the sound echoed along with the dying reverberations of the girl's earlier scream.

I skidded to a halt (or, well, to be precise, I banged into a tree and stopped) at the bottom of a steep slope. The mist here was less thick, and I could see that the girl must have fallen just as I had – there was a large gash across her forehead, and the sight of so much blood strangely fascinated me. I'd never seen quite so much of it before…though I felt a little queasy, I was curious too, and just sat there staring at it.

"Gyarrk!" a shrill screech startled me from staring at the girl, and something thudded into the wood a few inches above my head. Looking up, I saw a creature which huge teeth and claws, and all manner of sharp appendages, towering over me. I wasn't sure, but I think I'd seen one in one of Sturgeon's books. It was called a…bokibli? A bokoblon? A bokoblin, that was it!

It managed to wrench its weapon from the tree, taking a large part of the trunk away with the blade. Panicking, I jumped to my feet, and bought the Hero's sword up into a defending position. The bokoblin struck, and I felt the impact jar through my sword and up my arm. :Ouch! Well, if you're not going to play nice: Before I knew what I was doing, something just seemed to take over me. The screeching sounds that the bokoblin made became silent, even though I could see that it's mouth was open – when its sword hit against mine again, it didn't make any sound. As if in slow motion, I crouched low to the ground, and then performed a jump attack. The creature fell, dazed, and then I stabbed it through its green-scaled chest.

It disappeared – as all dark creatures are wont to do, at least, from what I've read, anyway.

Sound came back – my heart was throbbing painfully in my chest, and my breath came in ragged gasps. The girl was still out cold, and I carefully went over to her. "Ouch," she moaned, and I jumped backwards in surprise. She bought up a hand and touched her head – then, she winced, and hoisted herself into a sitting position. Unsure of what to do (and wondering where by the Gods Orca had gotten to) I backed away and watched from the shadows of some nearby ferns.

"Drat…" she opened her eyes, and looked at her fingers, which were covered in a sheen of blood. "Oh, my head," she groaned, and she pressed her hands over her eyes. I took this opportunity to step forwards – and managed to stupidly step on a twig, which snapped loudly. She jumped, startled by the sudden sound, and looked straight at me. Her eyes narrowed, "What's with the weird get-up?"

"Uh – I – uh…" I stammered, not knowing what to say now.

"Miss! Miss Tetra!" I was pushed aside as someone came running towards the girl, and I landed face first on the wet mud of the forest floor. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right! When I saw you get dropped on this summit, I thought for sure you'd…"

"Summit? So that bird dropped me on top of a mountain? Well, how very nice of it… Don't just stand there you, let's get going; it's time to repay our debt to that foul creature in full!" When she'd finished saying this, I'd managed to pick myself up off of the ground, and dust myself off a bit.

"But Miss…what about this boy?" Looking up, I saw a tall, burly looking man gesturing towards me. The girl stared at me indifferently, and flicked her blonde hair back over her shoulder.

"Him? Pah, don't worry about him – come on, let's get going!" And, with that, she breezed past me, and strode off into the forest, closely followed by the tall man. He nodded to me as he went past, and I nodded back. Then, deciding that I didn't want to be in this forest any longer, I followed the two of them back towards the bridge.

It was only as I began to near the edge of the forest, that I realized I'd forgotten Orca. :Oh no: I turned right around, and was about to start walking back in, when something landed heavily on my shoulder. "Argh!" However, when I turned to see what it was, I saw that it was just a hand. "Orca! Oh, thank the Gods, I though you might be lost or hurt or-"

"Shush lad, I'm fine. I saw that girl go by here a minute ago, so I suppose we'd best leave as well. Come along." He and I walked back to the bridge together, and I kept looking down at my sword as we did so. "What're you thinking?" he asked shrewdly when he caught me doing this.

"I – I managed to win against a bokoblin!" I exclaimed in a rush, and his eyebrows seemed to launch themselves to meet at the top of his forehead.

"Indeed? Well, I must say, that's most impressive. Well done!" I glowed with pride, and swung my sword merrily from side to side.

The full force of the sunshine was almost blinding after being in the murky forest for so long – I narrowed my eyes against the sun, and was surprised to see that that girl and the man were still on the forest side of the bridge. They seemed to be arguing about something, and stopped as soon as they noticed Orca and I walking towards the bridge (and consequently them). I decided not to bother talking to them, since the girl had been so rude, and carried on past them with Orca, to the bridge.

"'Hoy big brother!" I heard Aryll holler, and looking across the bridge, I saw her waving. I grinned and waved back, happy to see that she had decided to come and meet me. She started across the bridge, and I waited on the other side, glancing towards the girl – :Tetra: – and wondering whether she'd actually thank me or not for the whole saving her life thing… :And, she's rather pretty.: I blushed, glad that no one could read my thoughts, and looked back to where Aryll had managed to get about halfway across the bridge.

"CAW!" there was a great noise from overhead, and that big black bird from earlier seemed to swoop out of nowhere. I heard Aryll scream, and then saw the bird whisk her off of the bridge!

"NO! ARYLL!" I started to run after the bird, and suddenly there wasn't any ground left anymore. "ARGH!" I yelled, as I began to plummet down towards the rocks below – someone grabbed onto my hand, and looking up, I saw that it was the girl.

"Uhnn! Stupid kid! Get a hold of yourself! She's gone! There's nothing you can do," she hissed, digging her fingernails into my arm as she hauled me up. :Who's she calling a kid? She doesn't look any older than I am: Turning around, I scanned the sky for the bird, and saw it off in the distance.

"Aryll…oh no…"

* * *

I'd followed Tetra and the man who'd come to find her down from the forest, and all the way to the beach. Their ship was anchored off shore, and I saw a tiny rowing boat that the man must have used to get to the beach. Orca had made his way back to his house, leaving me alone to try and figure out how to save my sister. I'd seen tears in his eyes as he went, and it was getting really hard not to cry myself. "Wait! I want to go with you, do you understand?" I bellowed desperately.

"What? You want to come with us on our ship?"

"Yes, I do," I answered, more stoutly than I felt.

"Do you even understand what you're asking? We're pirates for Gods sakes! You know…pirates! The terror of the seas! What in heck do we get out of bringing some helpless little kid along with us, huh? I'll tell you what, a dratted headache, that's what. I know how you must feel what with your sister being kidnapped and all… But that doesn't really have anything to do with us, does it!"

I was about to yell something ever so rude back to her, when a voice I didn't recognize cut in. "And how exactly do you figure that out, young lady?" All four of us (as another pirate had been waiting for Tetra and the man on the beach) whirled around, and I recognized the man as the strange postman I'd seen earlier. And he really did have wings!

"Whoa there, just who do you think you are, butting into other peoples' conversations, huh buddy?" This came from the big pirate who'd knocked me over in the forest.

"Shut up Gonzo," Tetra hissed. "What exactly do you mean, featherbrain?"

"I'll ignore that facetious comment," the postman decided. He looked down at me, and extended a feathered arm, "My name's Quill."

I took the offered hand and shook it, "Rufus."

"Enough with the niceties, and explain what you mean!" Tetra said loudly, her hands curling into fists. :Why is it she still looks cute when she's angry – wait – what am I thinking:

"All I mean to say, is that if you big, bad pirates hadn't come to this lovely little island…that that poor girl wouldn't have been snatched away by that bird."

"Oh, really?" she snapped back sarcastically.

"Just be quiet for one blasted moment, will you?" Quill's feathers bristled. "Now, as my work entails delivering letters, I spend a lot of time travelling amongst many different islands, which means I hear a lot of things. Haven't any of you heard word about young ladies being kidnapped lately from all regions of the Great Sea?" We all shook our heads. "No matter. Whether you've heard about it or not, that's what's been happening. Young ladies with long ears – just like yours," he looked at Tetra, "have been getting kidnapped, never to be seen again."

"Never?" I echoed in horror. He threw me a sympathetic look.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get your sister back…but, as I was saying… The girl who has just been kidnapped has long ears, much like you do, Miss Fearsome Pirate. My point is, is that the bird mistook that poor girl for you, which is why it grabbed her." Tetra was stunned into silence. "And unless I'm much mistaken, it was young Rufus here who saved you from the monsters in the forest."

She seemed to find her tongue, and looked at me with her wide, blue eyes… "Is this true?" she asked in wonder. I just nodded, blushing.

"Oh! And while I'm at it, I may as well tell you that this foul bird has made its nest to the north, on the heights of the Forsaken Fortress."

"The Forsaken Fortress!" Tetra exclaimed. "Isn't that the place where…" Quill cut her off,

"So, what are you going to do, hmm? I think under the circumstances, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Rufus to ask you for a little help, would it?"

"Hmph, I don't need you to tell me that. But, even if I were to consider it – and I'm not saying that I am mind – I've heard nothing but evil rumours about the Forsaken Fortress. You," she glared at me with those wide, sapphire blue eyes… "You can't really mean to go there with only that cheap little sword to defend yourself with! That's not brave, that's just stupid!" She crossed her arms over her chest and heaved in a great gasp of breath. "Surely, even a tiny island like this must have something you can use as a shield – look, come back with something like that, and we'll let you stow away on our ship.

"Oh, and one more thing kid; once we leave, you won't be coming back for a while, so you'd better say goodbye to your folks whilst you have the chance. I don't want you getting all weepy eyed and stuff on me!" I just nodded, and hurried off towards home. I'd have to break the news to Grandma somehow, and then ask her for the shield we used as the family crest to take with me… As soon as the pirate girl had mentioned a shield, I'd thought of the one that hung on mine and Aryll's bedroom wall.

Pushing the door open, I found that the house was all quiet. :What if Grandma's out still organizing the party: I wondered, climbing the ladder that went upstairs. :Maybe I should just get the shield, and write Grandma a note:. I wasn't sure whether I'd still be able to go through with leaving if I had to see her cry or something. :And I have to save Aryll – it's my fault that she went up the forest: Since there was no one around who could see, I dropped heavily onto my bed, and put my head in my hands. "Oh, Aryll!"

I stayed there for only a few minutes, because I knew I had to hurry up. Maybe Orca had some shields or something that I could use… It would be worth going to ask anyway. I got off of my bed, and walked over to my chest of drawers – there, I stared at the pictures of Aryll and Grandma that sat there, as well as the ones of Mum and Dad… I could only just remember them, and Aryll couldn't at all, since she'd been so very little when they went missing…

Turning away, I made my way back to the ladder, and hurried downstairs. I was shocked to find Grandma standing at the bottom, waiting for me, with the shield in her hands. "Rufus…this is what you're looking for, isn't it? Here…take it with you. Your father used to use it all the time, so it should be yours now that you're all grown up." I took the wooden shield from her gently, and smiled a watery smile. "Orca told me all about what happened when I was over there just now…I guess it really is true then? Aryll has been kidnapped…what sort of monster would want to kidnap such a sweet dear child?"

"I don't know Grandma – but I'll get her back, I promise you I will!"

"I know you will my dear," she pulled me into a hug. "You stay safe, you hear me!"

"I will." Unable to stay any longer, I hurried outside, slamming the door behind me. The shield I slung over my shoulder, using the strap that had attached it to the wall to keep it there. Quickly, I turned towards Orca's house, only to find him hurrying towards me, a scabbard in his hands.

"You're going to need this lad."

"Thanks Orca." I took it from him, and strapped it onto my back, going over the other shoulder from my shield.

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

* * *

Tetra and the two pirates were still waiting (albeit impatiently) on the shore, and I hailed them. "'Hoy there!"

"Wow, that's a pretty decrepit old shield – you'd better be careful you don't get a splinter and cry." Tetra said by way of a greeting, and I scowled at her.

"There's no need to be so rude."

"Whatever kid," she waved her hand in a bored way. "If you're ready, then let's go. Are you ready?"

"Of course I am," I answered through gritted teeth. "And stop calling me kid – you're the same age as me, so stop pretending to be grown up."

"Trust me, you're still a kid compared to me. I've seen things that would make your hair curl…not that it really needs it." I reached up and pushed some of my fringe out of my eyes. The fall I'd had in the water earlier on had indeed made it all curly…sometimes I really hated having curly hair. "Well, whatever, come on, hop in." She pushed me towards the small rowing boat, and I sat down precariously on the bow. She sat at the other end, and the two men pushed the boat out into the water.

Then, they paddled us to the pirate ship, and the pirates on board, after quizzing Tetra about 'the kid', threw down a rope ladder for us to climb up. She went up first, and I followed after her. The ladder was swinging around madly in a sudden wind that had picked up, and I had to stop for a moment when it was blown clear away from the side of the ship. "Hurry up will you, we don't have all day!" the pirate below me on the ladder said irritably, pushing me upwards.

I tumbled onto the deck, and rolled over to see at least a dozen pairs of eyes staring at me. I ignored them, and hurried over to the back of the ship, which was facing Outset. Everyone on the island had come to stand on the beach, and they all yelled words of encouragement. "Good luck Rufus! Good Luck finding Aryll! Take care of yourself!" Behind me, I heard Tetra bellowing orders to the other pirates, and the sounds of them all scurrying about to do what she said. In about ten seconds, the sails had been unfurled, and the wind filled them.

The ship suddenly lurched forwards, and I had to cling onto a rope to stop myself falling clean off. Holding onto the rope with one hand, I used the other to wave goodbye to Outset. :Oh Gods, this is the first time I've ever even left it. What am I going to do? I don't know anything about adventuring or anything. Oh no, what have I done: But then I thought about Aryll, and how scared she'd looked when she was carried off by that bird. :I have to do this…for Aryll…and for Grandma too.:

As Grandma crossed my mind, I glanced towards home – and I saw that she was standing on our porch, looking out towards the ship. I stood as tall as I could, going on my tiptoes, and waved my whole arm – I don't know whether she noticed or not though, because Tetra managed to say something horrible yet again.

"Ugh…how much longer are you going to do this kid? Do you have an estimate or something? Maybe you should just quit now, huh? I mean, seriously, think about it. I can tell you're just going to get worse from here on out. There's still time you know. Are you sure you don't want us to stop and put you back on your nice, safe little island?"

I didn't look at her, and watched Outset quickly dwindling in the distance. "No way," I said darkly. "I'm going to save my sister, and nothing you say or do will stop me."

"Fine, whatever. But you realize you can't stay there for the whole trip, right? If you're going to travel with pirates, you've got to help out too." I turned around at this, and stared at her. "What? I said I'd take you to the Forsaken Fortress – I didn't say this would be some sort of cruise!" I sighed…I should have known!

"All right, what do you want me to do then?"

"See that door over there?" I followed her finger to see a low wooden door, and nodded. "Go through there, and then go down the steps and into the hold. Niko will be waiting there for you. You have to do what he tells you on this trip. You don't co operate, I might seriously think about leaving you in the brig for the whole journey, understand?"

"Of course I do, I'm not some kind of mentally retarded idiot!" She seemed shocked at my outburst, and then she smirked.

"So I see you do have a backbone after all! Good. Now, off you go," she shoved me towards the door, and I muttered something I'm sure Grandma wouldn't have liked under my breath as I walked towards it.

* * *

I walked down the rickety stairs into the hold, filled with trepidation about who this Niko person was. "Finally! Took your time, didn't you swabbie?" I looked around for the bearer of the voice, but I couldn't see anyone at all! "Hey, down here dummy!" I looked down, and saw a man who barely came up to my shoulders glaring at me, but grinning at the same time. "Hi! I'm Niko!"

"Rufus," I answered, remembering my manners.

"Well, hey Rufus. Just so you know, ahem, I will be your acting superior officer for the rest of this trip, but don't worry. I promise to go easy on you as long as you do what I say, OK?" I just nodded, looking down at the small man curiously. :This tiny thing is my superior? OK then…: "Now then, first off, you'll need to take the test that all new pirates have to take," he drew me out of my thoughts.

"But I'm not a pirate!" I protested, annoyed that he thought of me as one. "And I'd never want to be a pirate – you hurt people and steal and do all sorts of bad things!" As soon as I'd said it, Niko's face fell.

"That doesn't mean we can't be nice people…it's only a job…but, fine, if you want, I'll just leave you alone."

"No – I mean…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just – I can't be a pirate. I'll do the test, but I won't be a pirate. I'll just be your 'swabbie'." :Whatever that means…:

"Oh – OK. Well, anyway, this test is pretty hard, so you might have to do it over a few times before you get right. I'll show you what you need to do, and then you'll have to try it. Watch closely, so you can cram it into your swabbie-brain." I chose not to be offended by this, and watched closely. To my surprise, he ran over to a lever that was sticking out of the floor, and pushed it – suddenly platforms made out of wood dropped down from the ceiling, along with a lot of swinging lanterns on long rope tethers.

Then, Niko ran off the edge of the level we were standing on, and jumped onto the wooden platform closest to it. "What you need to do is get to the other side before the time runs out," he called back, jumping again and grabbing onto one of the swinging lanterns. He carried this on, moving in a monkey-like fashion to reach the other end of the hold. At the other end, he pushed yet another lever, and the platforms went away again. "Now you try it – just pull that lever, and then you'll have a minute and a half to get over."

:This is going to be fun: I thought, an amused smile across my face. I rushed over to the lever, and pulled it – again, the platforms came down. Then, I copied Niko's movements, jumping onto the first platform, and then making for the lantern; however, I'd forgotten the way they moved from side to side with the waves, and I missed it. "Ow…" I groaned, sitting up on the sack of flour I'd landed on. Niko was looking down at me and laughing.

"Guess you'd better try that again, hey swabbie?" I scowled, and dusted the white flour from all over me. I made my way over to the ladder, and pushed the lever back into the original position, so I could reset the time. "Don't worry – no one's ever done it first time around…not since Tetra's mother," Niko assured me, though he was still laughing. "Just keep at it until you get it. And whilst you do that, I'll be in the storeroom – when you get over, come in and see me."

:I have the feeling this is going to be a **very** long journey.: I pulled the lever again, and took the obstacles a little more slowly – however, I took them too slowly, and was tipped off of the platform I stood on before it went back up the ceiling. I climbed back up the ladder, pulled the lever, and stood there, just watching how the lanterns moved back and forth, before they went up again after a minute and a half.

:I think I know how they move now: I thought to myself, as I pulled the lever again. I had managed to mentally map out where the lanterns would swing to, and coordinated my jumps according to that. By doing that, I actually managed to get to the end, and with five seconds to spare!

"Niko? Hey, Niko, where are you?" I called, walking into the dimly lit storeroom. I saw him bent over an open casket, and he quickly slammed it shut before facing me.

"What! You did it already? …I…I'm proud to know you swabbie! That's amazing!"

"Uh – thanks," I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "What were you looking at?" I gestured towards the casket he stood in front of, and he jumped.

"Oh…nothing," he said guiltily.

"Liar!"

"Oh – all right, you got me. I was just looking at a load of knapsacks we managed to grab from a merchant," I raised my eyebrow. "Hey, we didn't hurt him, I swear – just scared him up a bit." A thought seemed to hit him. "Hey, you're going to be travelling around a lot soon, so you should probably take one of these to carry stuff you find in." He kicked the casket open, and pulled out a complicatedly decorated bag.

"I'll probably get busted for giving you this, but oh well," he handed it to me, and I slung it over my shoulder, along with my sword and shield. "But, just remember that anything you find, I get half of," he winked at me, and I laughed.

"Sure, whatever… Now what do you want me to do?"

"Well, to be honest, there isn't really much for us two to do. We haven't taken on board any new booty recently, so there isn't anything to sort through and categorize."

My eyes boggled. "You categorize the stuff you steal!"

"Hey! I prefer the term 'take without permission, amongst a lot of loud shouting'." Niko grinned, and even though he was a pirate, and I'd always been taught pirates weren't nice people, I found myself smiling back. :He doesn't really seem all that bad to me…:

"You know, you're not that bad for a pirate."

"And you're not all that bad for a swabbie. Now, come on, let's go and see about finding you somewhere to sleep around here. I'll warn you, it probably won't be in a bed – are you all right a hammock?" I thought back to the one time I'd tried to get into a hammock, and the thing had spun right around and dropped me back onto the floor. Aryll and Grandma had been in hysterics…

"Yeah, sure, that's fine."

"Good. All right, follow me, and we'll find you somewhere nice and warm." I followed Niko out of the storeroom, and back into the main hold – there, we both dropped down to the bottom, and walked over to the ladder on the other side. The wood underfoot tipped and reeled with the waves, and I felt slightly ill; luckily, higher up, the movement wasn't quite so bad, and I felt all right again.

:I wonder how long it'll take to get to the Forsaken Fortress:

"Oh, about three or four days," Niko said, and I blinked at him.

"Sorry?"

"You just asked how long it would take to get to the-"

"I said that out loud? I didn't realise…" Niko caught my eye at this, and we both laughed.

"Say – I like you swabbie. I'm glad Tetra decided to put you down here."

"So am I." :And I'm glad she decided she would help me out to get Aryll back, even though she isn't doing it very gracefully…:

* * *

_Sorry about all my blatant use and manipulation of game-script. I just found it, and started using it, because it made me remember what happened in the game, and spurned me on to write. So, well, dialogue you recognise is completely stolen, heh. This site is pretty damned useful, I have to say – there're probably other scripts out there somewhere as well – if anyone wants help with finding Zelda scripts, email me, I'll see what I can do in the way of finding sites for you._

_Anyway, enough of me blabbing! Next chapter, we get to meet my original character. And boy, they are pretty original. And they come from an island that doesn't actually exist in the Windwaker game…I did specify AU, didn't I? If not, I do now – AU-NESS AHEAD! _

_Soda – review, or…urm…I'll set my muses on you. And they're actually being pretty active where this story's concerned… _

_PS: The dedications I forgot to put at the top… First of all, thank you H7 – you don't know it yet dear, but I believe it was somewhere between looking at your art and reading your stories through again that I managed to get some inspiration back. Your amazing talent at pretty much everything you try your hand at has forced my muses to get up in a jealous rage and try to match you :grin: – and, well, you've also given me the courage to try this a/u idea that has been floating around in my head for a long while now. Also dedicated to anyone and everyone who's read my work, or whose work I've read. The list is huge – the two I can especially remember are 'Beautiful Nightmare', who welcomed me to the world of fan fiction (thank you m'dear!) and 'Jordiscy', who is perhaps the funniest author I've ever met :giggles stupidly:; she's the only person to have written humour fics that I actually liked. Through you, and all the others I'm too lazy to name, I've gained the experience that all authors need to improve. Thank you._


	2. Shadow: Vague Recollections

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Disclaimer: '1 + 1 2, and that's just not damned enough to buy the Zelda series!' :Sobs.: Not mine. Shadow (unimaginative for an explicit reason, I assure you), however, is, as is her home island, 'Opacus Isle.' (I'm taking 'Opacus' to mean 'shaded' in Latin, in this instance.)_

_In the last chapter, we were introduced to Rufus, the destined new Hero of Time. And now, we are going to meet the descendant of a rather long, and infamous line. Strap your seatbelts on (no, wait, if you're reading in the car, stop, and look at the road! Gah! That's awful driving, how did you ever pass your test?) OK, we'll try that again – just read it. And if you're driving, find somewhere to pull over. _

_Thoughts in italics and : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics. _

* * *

_**Shadow: Vague recollections **_

_Dark storm clouds were billowing all over the Great Sea, and I watched as lightning forked back and forth, and heard the thunder rumbling deeply. I shivered, and found my eyes drawn to the northeast – drawn to where I knew…I knew something terrible was occurring. I could feel a darkness, spreading outwards, tapering fingers trying to grab, to wrench me away from my home, from all I held dear. _

_I shrank back as one wisp of cloud broke away, and floated towards me – sparks of lightning danced in the misty piece, and tiny little grumbles came from it, making it sound almost hungry. I ran from it, but it never got any further away – nor did it gain on me. It stayed a comfortable dozen yards away from me, and when I stopped, it did as well. What did it want? I wasn't entirely sure…_

_A ray of bright light shot up from the south, breaking through the clouds many miles away. It bathed the whole Isle in light, and the tiny cloud seemed to shy away, and fled back to the sky. What did it mean? What did all of this mean? Another light, dimmer and closer to, flared up in the east. It too cut through the clouds, and there, high above, I thought I saw a glitter of gold. I blinked, and the gold had gone. I blinked again, and it was there. Three, shimmering triangles; the Tri-Force of the old legends. _

_Looking down, I saw a fragile blue ocarina in my hands – I clutched it close to me, feeling the magic within it envelope me like a blanket. Whilst the darkness still came from the northeast, the enveloping magic of the fragile instrument I held seemed to somehow diminish the fear I had experienced before. And when it came towards me, malevolent and cold, I stood my ground, ready to face whatever terror it would bring. _

The morning sun flooded full force through my window, and when I rolled over, it fell directly onto my eyes – cursing, I rolled even further, and fell straight from my bed, and onto the floor. "What's going on?" a voice shrilled, and then I found a multitude of pillows being thrown at me.

"Shadow! How many more times are you going to do that to us? It's only six for Gods sakes' – go back to sleep!"

"Sorry," I rubbed my back, and pondered the dream. It had been coming and going for a few months now, and still I wasn't quite sure what it meant. Getting up, I reached up to my bunk (the top one), and grabbed my blanket. Pulling it from the bed, I wrapped it around myself, and left the bunkhouse. Dawn was already in full swing, and I made the small trek to the cliffs around the bay in order to get a better view. Ochre and vibrant pinks lighted the sky, and I sighed as the brisk northerly breeze cut through the thin blanket clasped around me, and dispelled the last of the sleepy haze from my mind.

As usual, the Isle was practically silent this early in the morning. Not even the designated farmers got up until at least the seventh hour of morn, so it seemed I was the only one awake. I quite liked it like this to be honest – Opacus Isle was so very peaceful in the smaller hours of the morning, and it seemed I was the only one ever to enjoy them.

Apart from Mother, that is. As if on cue, she came wandering up the cliff path to my right, and on spotting me, she waved hello. Her bodysuit was completely soaked, and looking down to the quay, I saw that her net was full of night-fish. She had taken off her facemask, and it was lying in a soggy mess around her neck. Guiltily, my hands flew up to my own bare face, but Mother just shook her head. "Don't worry, there's no one else who will see you."

"Sorry, I always forget," I apologized anyway, pulling a face at my forgetful nature.

"That's quite all right. And, well, it's understandable this early in the morning… Since you're awake, would you care to help me bring last night's haul up?"

"Of course – I'll just go and get dressed."

"Good girl. Oh, and Shadow."

"Yes mother?"

"Do remember that it's your induction today."

"How could I forget?" I muttered to myself as I hurried back to the bunkhouse, and crept inside, careful not to reawaken the other adolescent warriors within. I took my clothes from my own shelf, and then went into the bathroom in order to splash some water on my face, and of course, get dressed. This early in the morning, my indigo bodysuit seemed to give off a horribly bright glare, and the white shirt that went over the top, daubed with the eye of truth, was quite simply glowing.

I tied my bandages around my middle, bringing in my white shirt, and hoped that the sloppiness of them wouldn't be noticed too much. I never was any good at tying bandages onto myself. On other people, yes, it was easy enough, but it's just so difficult to do them on yourself. And, well, I'd even had five years of practice, and I still couldn't do them properly!

Yanking my facemask into place, I stepped out of the bathroom, tiptoed through the bunkhouse, and then went back out into the dawn-lit morning. Mother had already made her way back down to the bay, and once I was assured that my mask was in place and wouldn't fall off, I too made my way down to the wooden arm that extended a good twenty yards out, where she was already unloading the nets into large wooden tubs. "Which store do you want me to put these in?" I asked over the sounds of the still weakly flapping fish.

"Hmm – I think the salt store for these – they're deep water fish, so they'll keep well until winter." Nodding, I grabbed one of the tubs, and heaved it onto my back. Ever thankful for the strong frame my warrior training had given me, I started back up the cliff path, bent nearly double under the weight of the fish. The handles of the tub (made out of dried seaweed twined together) cut bitterly into my hands, and again I wondered when the promised new tubs would be commissioned.

As I climbed the steep path, I found my eyes being drawn to the sky. :It looks almost as dark in the northeast as it does in my dreams: I thought with alarm. When I reached the top of the path, I turned around, half-expecting to see the twin lights in the south and east as well. :There's nothing there you fool! Grow up and stop thinking about all these fanciful fairy stories: I berated myself further as I made my way to the conical shaped salt store.

Once inside, I was able to deposit my load, and then I began to take the fish out, ensuring the ach and every one was dead (sometimes with the aid of a wall and a great deal of speed) before I dropped them into our huge store of salt, turned them over, and hung them up on one of the hundreds of hooks that were all over the walls, and hanging from the ceiling. That only took me a few minutes, as I was so used to doing it after years of practice, and then I was able to pick up my empty carrier, and make my way back down to the bay.

Mother was already just at the stop of the cliff path when I arrived there, a load of her own on her back; I stood out of the way and allowed her past, before going back down to get my second lot. :I hope there aren't too many people at the induction: I cringed at the very idea of it. I, like all Sheikah, could handle crowds of people if I had to, but I would really rather just stay with my close friends and family. And even then, there was the religion that had been drummed into me as a child – the face shall be masked at all times in public – the body and mind must both be trained to equally great strength – life must be lived boldly but with reserve. And all serve the great Gods.

Pretty strict stuff really, but the rules were the rules, and I was so used to them that I didn't mind them at all. I did often wonder about the other islands I saw from the lookout point when it was turn to be on guard duty. How did they live? I'd heard rumours about this one place – Windfall Island – where there were all sorts of people, none wearing facemasks, and everyone talking to everyone else:Unbelievable: I'd thought when I first heard these things, and I'd scoffed the merchant traders who'd said this when they bought goods back from the other islands – but, when I asked mother and my trainer, the great lady Impa, they told me it was true.

:Other races are just so strange…: I had to stop contemplating this when one of the fish, more lively than the rest, decided to escape my grip and go flapping across the sun-bleached wood of the dock. "Drat!" I cursed under my breath, making a calculated dive for the creature, and managing to grab it just before it went flopping back into the sea. "Got you," I threw the offending creature back into the half full tub, and then plunged my hand back into the neck of weakly wriggling creatures to carry on with my task.

"Look out below!" a shadow passed overhead, and instinctively I ducked – something flew over me, barely a hair's breadth away from the top of my head. Looking up, I saw one of the winged postmen :what are they…? Rye – Ree – Rito, I think that's it…: tumbling over and over in the air, whimpering softly. I caught flashes of red, and realised that one of its wings was badly damaged. Mother would still be a few minutes more up in the salt store, so it looked like it would be down to me to try and help this poor creature.

It was being blown back out to sea by the brisk breeze, so I hopped into Mother's boat, and pushed it away from the wharf, quickly untying the rope as the current drew me out. The net of fish tumbled into the water :oh Gods, Mother'll be angry, but the imperative was to rescue the poor injured soul above. "Try to fly against the wind," I called, as loudly as I could, but, well, my voice never was accustomed to shouting like those of my peers. Nonetheless, I believe they heard me, because they did as I suggested.

I hurriedly unfurled the sail, and the boat was taken by the wind northwards, after the injured Rito. Soon enough, I had overtaken them, and I grabbed the rudder of the fishing schooner, and tugged hard to bring the vessel about. The struggling Rito was being bought towards me on the breeze, and looking back, I knew I had only a very limited timeframe in which to save them before they were too far away from land. :I'm already dangerously close to the north-south current: I worried, even as I yanked on the sail ropes, causing the red fabric to sag.

The boat was now bobbing practically dead in the water, and I was able to shimmy up the tiny mast. Once at the top, I wrapped my legs and left arm around it, and stretched out my right arm. "Grab my hand!" I yelled as the Rito came close, and hoped they would hear me. They extended their uninjured arm (wing?) and I managed to grab hold of it.

I held on tightly, and then bodily threw them down onto the deck. They landed and remained still – hurriedly, I descended, and went to roll them over. Now I could at least tell that 'they' happened to be a 'he'. Luckily, he had only fainted. His injured wing had flopped uselessly at his side, and I could see that there was in fact bone poking through the vermilion mess of muscles and nerves. :It's lucky I've got all these bandages on me: I thought, shrewdly grateful of my peoples' fashion. I unravelled the bandages that held my shirt in at the waist. :It's not like I really need to be streamlined right now…:

That done, I was able to use the bandages to securely dress the wounds he had (steering clear of the main one). The arm/wing I left until last, and for that, I used one of the harpoons I'd whittled during the poor fishing months, snapping off half the shaft, and using it as a splint. As I applied pressure to the limb to force it straight, he whimpered and opened his eyes. "Wh-where am I?" This was followed closely by a hissed swear word as I deftly lashed the splint in place.

"This is Opacus Isle. I fear you're rather off course," I answered, yanking the sail rope to bring the fabric right down to the deck. It had been catching the wind again, and I didn't want to go any further out to sea. Then, using the on-board oars and rudder combined, I swung the schooner about to face back to home.

"Helmaroc…" he murmured, and I looked at him. :What…: Those were those vicious black bird people…old legends.

"Excuse me?" I queried, but he was out cold. "Weakling," I chuckled slightly, and then began back towards shore, my muscles protesting that it was too early to be doing all this work.

I could see Mother standing at the foot of the cliff path, waiting for me. Even at this distance, her stance told me that she was not best pleased. :Oh dear…: The tub of fish I'd left untended had overturned and all the fish were slewed across the wooden boards of the quay. :Drat: I hadn't secured the blasted thing properly in my haste and about a quarter of the entire catch was ruined:Well, at least I have a good excuse.:

"What by Gods do you think you're doing?" she yelled as soon as I was close enough to hear. Her foot was tapping rapidly as she waited for me to dock. Both hands were on her hips. The idea of suffering her wrath wasn't very appealing, so I started to protest my case before I actually reached shore.

"But Mother, this Rito man was in trouble. I had to help him!" I moved out of the way of the Rito man and allowed the boat to drift the last dozen yards or so to the wooden platform. Mother's eyes widened and she dropped her angry stance, hurrying to grab the tether rope that I threw out. "Thanks," I breathed softly, bending down to take another look at the Rito. "Hey – hey, do you think you can stand?"

I tapped him lightly on the side of his face, only just realising that he had a beak where a nose should be:How didn't I notice that before: When he managed to get into a sitting position, I realised; his hair was very much in the style of a Sheikah, covering half of his face in a white sheet. A few feathers also sprouted from his head but for the most part, it was covered with normal hair. "Where am I?" he asked for the second time in so many minutes.

"This is Opacus Isle, good sir," Mother called softly, grabbing hold of the side of the schooner, and pulling it so that it was directly next to the jetty. "What happened?"

"A helmaroc," he said, repeating the name of those mystic creatures. "The helmaroc king – he flies abroad again, and makes his nest in the Forsaken Fortress!" Mother blanched, and I drew a sharp breath. The Forsaken Fortress? But that was…surely, the rumours couldn't be true! But here was the proof, right here before us… The Rito coughed loudly, and then groaned.

"Come along, we'll get you up to the village – Shadow, go and get one of the cloth carriers and bring it here." I hopped from the boat, and rushed to the storehouse that was set into a shallow cave in the bay. As quickly as I could, I extracted one of the cloth carriers from the rack on the wall, and tied the fastenings on the poles with double knots to make sure they were secure. Then, just as quickly, I made my way back to the boat.

Mother had already scooped him up from the deck, and smiled tightly when she saw me coming back. I lay the cloth carrier on the ground for her, and she gently lay the Rito down on it. Then, I took the back end, and she the front, and we lifted him up. He was much lighter than I had anticipated, and we had to pause whilst I made up for my miscalculation. :It must be something to do with all those feathers. I wonder if he has hollow bones like birds do: I wasn't able to think about this too long because I had to concentrate on going up the cliff path without dropping the Rito.

A few stones shifted underfoot, and I hurriedly took another step forwards, jolting the poor Rito man as I did so. He moaned, and closed his eyes tightly. "Sorry sir," I whispered apologetically, tightening my grip on the handles of the carrier, and nodding to Mother when she looked over her shoulder at me. She went a little more slowly, as we were coming to a less stable part of the path, and I took the reprieve in pace gratefully indeed.

* * *

"Coryn, how's his wing?" Mother asked, as physician Coryn inspected the Rito man (who was again unconscious).

"Not good, I'm afraid Hester," he replied, standing straight again, and veritably towering over both Mother and I with his seven foot stance. "I doubt he'll be flying again for a good couple of months."

"Won't his people worry for him?" I asked, tentatively breaking into the conversation – after all, I wasn't officially an 'adult' until after the induction.

"That I don't doubt," Coryn answered, somewhat distracted, as he replaced my bandages around the Rito's wounds with freshly sterilised ones. "When the next voyage goes to Windfall, we shall send a message to the Rito concerning their man," he said matter-of-factly. I just nodded, knowing that he could see me from the corner of his eye. A slight crinkling at the corners of them told me he was smiling beneath his facemask.

"Come along Shadow, we'd best see what we can do with the fish we still have," Mother whispered, touching me lightly on the shoulder.

"No, Hester, wait," Coryn inclined his head towards us both, pushing his silvery hair back from his face with the back of his bloodstained hand. "I'd like Shadow to stay here for a few minutes – if that's convenient, of course…?"

"Of course it is; unless you have other plans…" Mother looked down at me, and dropped a swift wink. I returned it, grinning beneath my cowl.

"Yes, I'll stay if you wish."

"Very good," he nodded, and again pushed his hair away from his face.

"'Til this eve then." Mother bowed stiffly, and then left the ward.

"Why did you wish me to stay sir?" I asked, as soon as her footsteps had died away. Carefully, I made my way forwards, and looked down at the Rito, who was tossing and turning even as Coryn tied off the last bandage. Coryn turned and studied me for a few seconds, which immediately set my skin prickling. I had to fight the instinctive urge to curl my hands into fists and drop into a defensive stance. Thankfully, after those few seconds, he whirled away from me and went over to one of the three seats in the room.

"Please, sit," he invited, and I took the smallest of the seats (a three legged stool), and dragged it to sit opposite him.

"First of all, I just want to commend you for your courage this morn. Especially with the strength of the north-south current at this time of the year – that was very brave."

"Or one could also perceive it as very foolish," I countered, managing to raise a laugh from the usually sombre physician. :I've always had a knack for making people laugh…:

"Well, foolish or not, I shall commend you for it anyway," he paused, and looked at the Rito. "Now – tell me again exactly what this Rito said."

"He was quite delirious…I'm not sure he knew what he was saying," I said, scratching the back of my head in bewilderment. Why were both he and Mother so worried by the mad, pain-driven ravings of this creature?

"All the same, I would like you to tell me what he said; sometimes people can talk more truths in delirium than at any other time."

"Oh… All right then… He spoke of the helmaroc, and then of the helmaroc king flying abroad, making its nest in the," I hesitated on the name of the dread place, but Coryn finished the sentence before I could;

"In the Forsaken Fortress… Did he say anything else?"

"No, not really. He just asked where he was."

"I see…" he made a small sound in the back of his throat, and then must have noticed my incredibly inquisitive (and thus incredibly rude) stare. "I just wanted to make sure I knew all that he said," he gave by way of an explanation.

"Why? Do you believe there could be something to it?"

"I'm not sure," he said softly, and then started, seeming to realise to whom he spoke. "You should get off to help Hester," he commanded.

"But, what of the Rito, and-" he cut me off,

"The Rito will be fine. Now, if you please, do go child."

"Yes sir." I got up from my stool, and bowed, before leaving the ward, taking care to close the door softly behind me, even though I was fuming. :'Child' indeed? Child! He calls me a child on the very day of my induction and adulthood? The – the cheek of it: I frowned angrily as I strode through the physician's hospital, and took great pleasure in being able to slam the outer door without reprimand.

I stalked from the south side of the Isle, towards the quay on the north side, and looked down from the top of the cliff path. Mother was already there, sweeping ruined fish into baskets, and then hauling them two at a time to the waste house. This was where all ruined food went, to either be used as compost when rotted, or for bait. Nothing was ever wasted on Opacus Isle, because we simply couldn't afford to waste. Trips to Windfall were long and arduous, so we made do with what little we had.

Breathing deeply, I made my way down the track, and I forced the anger from my mind. :Tomorrow, I'll be a full adult, so there's no point fretting over this.: Thoroughly pleased with my new 'calm' state of mind, I patched a smile onto my face, and went over to Mother to offer my assistance.

"What did Coryn want to speak to you about?" she queried as soon as she spotted me.

"Oh, he just wanted to be sure of what the Rito said," I replied nonchalantly, picking up two loaded baskets, and tottering over to the waste house.

"Anything else?"

"Nope." :I know it's a lie, but getting angry over something so petty is ridiculous:

"You sure?" Mother asked shrewdly, picking up her own two baskets.

"I…yes. There were other things, but they weren't important," I said; it was a half-truth at least, and seemed to satisfy her.

"All right; there we are, that's the last of them," she threw the fish into the pit of the waste house, and then shut the door, which immediately diminished the smell it gave off.

"I'm so sorry for ruining the catch…"

"That's quite all right. You did have a viable excuse after all," she gave me a brief hug, and then we walked back up the cliff path, arms linked together.

Once at the top, I was able to see that the hour hand on the temple clock was nearing seven. Soon, it would strike, and everyone would be up and about. "This is where I leave you for now, my dear," Mother said, withdrawing her arm. "I must go and make sure all the details are sorted for your ceremony!" I made a small groan, and she laughed. "Come on, it isn't that bad – every warrior has to go through it eventually!"

"I know, but I'm so much younger than the other warriors usually are. People will still see me as a child!"

"Is that the 'other' thing Coryn said?" Mother guessed, and I nodded.

"I know it shouldn't have angered me, but I allowed it to…"

"Don't worry, I had the very same problem. Remember, I was exactly your age when I had my induction ceremony."

"I know, I know," I said ruefully.

"Sixteen is young, yes, for a warrior, but don't fret. If anyone wishes to call you a child, all you need to do is show them your agility and magic. What was it Lady Impa said? 'Shadow sometimes advances so quickly-"

"-that she might almost be teaching me the meaning of speed'." I blushed as I recited the well-known words of praise. Such praise from the Lady Impa was high praise indeed, and I felt proud that she'd noticed me.

"Exactly," Mother nodded, and she slapped me heartily on the back. "Now, you run off and see just how well you can waste twelve hours."

"Yes Mother…'bye!" I made my way back to the bunkhouse to get some weapons and do some training.

"'Bye dear," she called after me.

* * *

When I entered, the bunkhouse was still silent, and I crept past the many sleeping bodies so as not to wake them up. I'd already done so once that morning, and I doubted they'd appreciate being woken before time again.

I finally reached my bunk, and passing that, I came to the store cupboard that I shared with Firen. :He's done it again: I grumbled internally, as I had to carefully shove his ankle boots out of the way. The chalk from the training square had clung to the soles of them, and thus had left white footprints upon the floor, that would need to be cleaned up before inspection. :Ah well, he can do it this morning. I've got other things to do: I decided, winching the cupboard door open.

As I had (rightly) suspected, he also hadn't secured his crossbow properly, and had I not opened the door so slowly, it would have fallen onto me (creating a lot of noise). :And so the morning routine repeats…: I reached through the small crack between doorframe and door, and grabbed the weapon, before proceeding to open the door fully. Then, just as I had done every morning for the past two years I'd been sharing this store with Firen, I clipped the crossbow into place, put his boots onto his shelf, and then withdrew my own weapons.

My pouch of needles had yet again come off of the belt, so I had to sit there and fiddle with it to get it back on. As I was doing this, I heard the bells in the temple go off to strike the hour. At the same time, the small clock in the dorm began to chime. All around me, people started to move groggily – I noted with amusement that all Firen had done was turn over, and shove his thumb into his mouth. :You'd hardly believe he was seventeen, looking at him now: I shook my head in disbelief, at the same time strapping my belt around my waist.

I'd also taken out my whip, which I slotted onto its rightful hook on the right side of my belt, and lastly, I had my daggers. These too lay on a belt strip, which I hooked over my shoulder, so that it ran from left shoulder to my right side under my arm. I was going to withdraw my Deku-nuts and casting amulet as well, but I decided against it. I couldn't be bothered with them today… Instead, I took out a new roll of bandages, with which to replace the ones I'd used for the Rito. After all, if I was going to train a little, I could hardly do it in the un-streamlined manner I was in, could I?

"Morning' Shadow," Delia swung down from her top bunk so that she was hanging upside down over the edge. "Gods, you're getting started early enough! Didn't you go back to sleep?"

"Nope – Mother bought in a catch, so I went to help her."

"You're mad," she stated, yawning, and she then pulled her torso back onto her bed.

"Remember Delia, I'm not the one with the red hair…" I called with a smirk on my face, and she flapped her hand at me.

"You're just jealous because it suits me my dear!" she claimed, and then threw a terribly misaimed pillow at me – it was so badly aimed that it hit Firen instead. He spluttered, thumb exiting mouth very quickly, and opened his eyes. Delia peered over the bars of her bunk, wide eyes nearly blending in with her hair. "Oh…sorry Firen…"

"Dratted madwoman," he muttered, pummelling his eyes with his fists. He threw the pillow back to her, "Ah well, now that I'm up, happy birthday Shadow."

"Thanks," I answered, glad that the dimness of the bunkhouse masked my blush. :Don't make a big deal of it, please don't…: Delia gasped, and I knew my prayer wouldn't be answered. She leant so far over that she fell off of her bunk entirely. "Are you all right?" I rushed over, and she just blinked tiredly up at me.

"Yes… I just forgot it was your birthday! Sorry!"

"Hey, don't worry about it," I laughed, pulling her up. "You have to suffer my induction later; that's more than enough of a gift to me!"

"Phew," she breathed, pretending to wipe sweat from her brow.

"I, however, remembered, so do I not get a birthday kiss?" Firen called, sounding angry at being ignored.

"I thought it was customary for the birthday person to get kisses, not give them," Delia said, nudging me and winking suggestively. I nudged her back, and rolled my eyes. :I wonder what the adults would think if they knew of all the scandals that occur here…: I thought with a grin.

"Oh, fine, that'll do." Suddenly, Firen had dived from his bed and latched onto my legs.

"Uh – what exactly are you doing?" I hissed, surprised to find him lying full length on the floor at my feet. :Interesting, but also very worrying.:

"Having a nap," he answered contritely. Then, he let go, and scrambled to stand, dusting himself off. "Well?"

"Well what?" I asked, hoping that the fall had knocked some sense back into him.

He sighed, yanked my facemask down (to which I squeaked indignantly), and then grabbed me, and tipped me back as though we were doing some sort of Hylian dance. "Hey!" I tried to protest, but was cut off when he placed a swift, chaste kiss on my lips. This received a wolf whistle and clapping from the rest of the dorm. As soon as he let go of me, I rapped him sharply over the head with my coiled up whip, though I was laughing all the same.

"You're such a theatrist!" Delia exclaimed accusatively to Firen, as I straightened my mask.

"Is 'theatrist' even a real word?" I asked.

"Well, I suppose it must be now," Firen said sagely, fanning himself dramatically with his hands.

The moment was broken (thankfully!) when Artemis and Laurie entered the bunkhouse. Artemis was professor of magic, and exceptionally good at it, and Laurie was both his wife, and the general teacher of history, languages, geography and mathematics. "All right everyone, settle down!" Artemis called, and many people made a hurried scramble for their facemasks (including Firen and Delia). "Shadow, Delia, Firen, would you come over here please? The rest of you may carry on." The three of us looked at one another, and Delia did her best to flatten her ruffled hair as we wound our way through the bunks to where our professors stood.

"Good morning," the both of them said in unison, and we replied with tired nods of recognition. "Now, as Shadow's induction is today, and you two are going to be part of the ceremony, we decided that you could have a day off from lessons in which to collect yourselves."

"Yes!" Firen punched his hand into the air. Artemis glared at him. "Oh…sorry sir."

"Indeed…as I was saying, you needn't attend lessons. However, the training grounds are free for the whole of this morning, so you may wish to use them to your advantage."

"Yes sir," I agreed and he nodded to me.

"That's all," Artemis then raised his head to survey the whole dorm. "Now hurry up and get dressed everyone. Breakfast's in ten." With that, the two professors swept out again.

"A whole day off! I knew there was a reason we liked you," Delia cried joyfully, throwing her clothes for the day from her cupboard and onto her bed.

"Definitely a bonus…but, do we have to go train?" Firen whined pitiably, and both Delia and I shot him withering looks. "Fine, it was just a question…"

"Look, we'll train in the morning, and then…oh, I don't know, we could swim or something in the afternoon. That sound all right for you?"

His eyes lit up childishly at the mention of the word 'swim', and he nodded his head vigorously. "Sounds great! Now, where are my boots…?"

* * *

All three of us ate our breakfast swiftly, and then I led the way to the training grounds, intending to use the training square for most of the morning. It was quite useful having Delia and Firen with me, as we all specialised in different weaponry. Firen was a master of arrows and crossbows, Delia was able to pick up almost any sword and wield it as though she had been doing so for years, and I was master of all the traditional Sheikah weapons; needles, whip and daggers. Which meant we could all practice without getting in each other's way.

"Shall we meet here again at twelve then?" Delia queried, already marching towards the storeroom to pick up her favourite broadsword.

"Sounds good – that all right Firen?"

"Fine."

"All right – I'll see you two later then." We went our separate ways; Delia was in the storeroom, Firen had walked off down the closed corridor to the firing range, and I made my way through the central courtyard of the training grounds, into the paddock at the back. For a few seconds, I paused to survey the chalked surface of the training square, half of which was glinting in the morning light.

Then, I walked onto the chalked square, and a familiar fluttering sound came to my ears. A Poe appeared before me, waving its lantern gently. "Ah, the little adult wishes to train this morning I see. The same programme as usual my dear? Or would you prefer to start with a Stalfos rather than a gibdo this time?" I pondered the question, and then decided,

"Actually, I will try starting with a Stalfos – I haven't for a while, have I?"

"Not since," the Poe conjured a scroll to its hands, and checked it, "last autumn, no."

"Well, the Stalfos programme will do me, thank you."

"Very good – ready?" I nodded. "Off you go." The Poe disappeared, and a Stalfos melted up from the magic-laden ground of the training square. No monster could leave the confines of the chalked area, so any warrior who was having difficulties need only step outside, and then call for the Poe to end the training programme.

I sank low into my normal battle stance, left leg extended straight out to the side, right leg crouched beneath me, the fingertips of my left hand spreading my weight on the ground, and my right hand reaching to my whip (my definite favourite weapon). The Stalfos, of course, charged, as they always do, and I leapt agilely over the thing, flipping in the air as I did so. As soon as I landed, I lashed out with my whip, which wrapped around the creature's neck. With a bare minimum of concentration, I sent sparks of lightning down the whole length of the leather weapon, which burnt at the already weak muscles of the Stalfos.

It screeched, and I yanked the whip back towards me, which took the thing's head off. Now, of course, Stalfos can still manoeuvre quite well even without their heads, so I sprinted to it's left, ducked under a sword swing, and in one sure movement, threw a handful of needles into it's chest cavity – they stayed dormant for less than a second, and then exploded in a dazzling array of colours.

"Oh, how I do love magic…" I murmured in a singsong voice as a Moblin made itself present in the square.

* * *

Almost five hours later, I heard the sound of the temple clock chimes reverberating over the Isle, and I jumped out of the training square, the Darknut I was fighting straining to follow me. "Poe, I'm done." The Darknut vanished. "Thank you." I'd taken a break after the first two hours, and had spent almost an hour just lying on my back in the paddock, looking up at the clouds – it'd been a long time since I'd ever done anything like that…

The clock was on the tenth strike when I reached the designated meeting place, and I found the other two already there, chattering away. As soon as they saw me, they waved, and I hurried over. "How was training?" Delia asked.

"You did have a rest, didn't you?" Firen interjected sternly. I nodded, scratching the back of my head guiltily. One time, we'd been doing a tandem assessment of endurance, and I'd managed to keep on going for four hours straight, even after Firen had to drop out after three.

"Yes, I did."

"Good!" He threw an arm over my shoulder, and then threw his other over Delia's. "Shall we?"

"Do we have to? I mean, with you leaning on us?" Delia asked disdainfully, and I snorted. Firen looked sharply at me, and I bit my lip to keep back a laugh.

"Well, fine, if I'm not good enough for you, I'll just leave, shall I?"

"If you like," Delia shoved his arm off, and then grabbed my arm and dragged me off. "Oh, come along you sap! Let's get to lunch before all the good food's gone, shall we?" At the mention of food, Firen rushed forwards, and we all sprinted the half-mile from the training grounds to the mess hall. Luckily, not many people were there yet, so we were able to get our food pretty quickly (bread, cheese, salted fish left over from winter, water or milk and some honeyed fruit.)

"Shall we go down to the bay now and take this with us?" Firen suggested.

"Well, we need to get some towels from the bunkhouse first – unless you fancy walking around sopping wet?" Delia pointed out.

"Ah…oh well, we may as well just eat and then go."

"Good plan," I nodded, swinging onto my usual bench, Delia sitting to my right, and Firen sitting opposite us. To anyone looking in right at that moment, we'd make an odd group indeed, especially for Sheikah. I, with the stereotypical Sheikah build and looks; (platinum hair, pale skin, medium height, small build), sitting opposite to Firen, with his raven hair and short stocky build, and sitting next to Delia, nearly gracing six foot at only fifteen, with her dyed red hair and non-standard uniform (also mainly red). A very odd group of youths indeed… But, we'd been friends for as far as I could remember, which in itself was also odd…

"I'm done, can we go now?" I blinked, and looked in shock at Firen's plate, which was now sparkling clean. Looking down at my own, I saw most of my food still left, and the same for Delia.

"Where does the food go?" Delia asked in awe, reaching across to poke him on the chest. "Do you reckon this bit's hollow?"

"Nah, I reckon that bit is though," I said, pointing to his forehead.

"I'm right here you know," he said huffily. "Look, hurry up and eat, I want to go," he rocked from side to side on his seat, and both Delia and I rolled our eyes at each other.

"They never grow up, do they?"

"I doubt it."

"Eat!" he commanded, and we both complied.

* * *

"Oh Gods, we've got to go!" Delia exclaimed, starting from her sunbathing stupor. I rolled over lazily, and looked up at my two friends, who were already standing up and dusting sand from their damp clothes. "Hurry up you, or we'll be late," Delia yanked Firen after her, and then stopped. "Oh – we'll see you in a couple of hours."

"All right," I mumbled, closing my eyes again and lying down. I didn't need to make my way up for another hour yet to get ready. So, I could afford to continue my lazing around for a while longer. I brought my arms up and crossed them behind my head, using them as a pillow. Slowly, I drifted off again, and found myself once more looking out over the Great Sea, which was plagued with overbearing dark clouds.

The electricity of lightning was tangible in the air, though not one single bolt flew this time. Thunder rumbled without a visible cause, this time centred around the northeast – where that terrible thing was happening… The darkness called to me, reached out to me, promising everything, delivering nothing. I wanted to go.

I wanted to stay. Everything I held dear was here. But what if the darkness could give me more? No…I had to stay. Wanted to go…

"Sheikah," a commanding voice called me, waking me from my trance. "Sheikah, turn away, turn to me." I was paralysed, split equally between the empty promises, and no promises at all.

I turned around.

I woke up suddenly, to find the sun had dipped its head behind a cloud, and shivered in the sudden cool its absence made. "Sheikah!" the voice from my dream came again, only this time, to my waking ears. I started, and peered around. "In the cove Sheikah – you shall have to swim to the shingle here." Unable to resist the command, for some reason I couldn't fathom, I rose from my comfortable place on the sand, and waded into the water.

So late in the afternoon, the water was beginning to lose its warmth, and I drew a hitched breath at the change in temperature. All the same, I carried on, until the sand was too far beneath the water to reach my feet, and I made my way around the small peninsula of rocks and to the cove, which most often saw young lovers sitting and watching the sunset together. A vibrant red boat, with an intricately carved dragon-prow bobbed in the shallow water, and I looked about for the owner of it.

However, I could see no one, and immediately, this put me on guard. :I shouldn't have been off guard in the first place: I reprimanded myself, and felt glad that I at least still had my whip with me. Slowly, I left the water, wading until it was lapping around my ankles, and then stopped. "Hello?"

"Over here," the voice seemed to come from the boat itself, and I shook my head. :Of course, that's not even possible:

"Where are you sir?"

"Here girl – the boat!" This time, I looked at the boat, and as I looked, I saw the wood of the prow move fluidly, in order to turn and face me. With a scream, I backed up, and fell over into the water. "Shush! You've nothing to fear from me Sheikah!" The boat turned around so that the prow faced me, and I came face to face with the proud dragonhead, whose eyes were a kindly black.

"I – I," I stuttered, unsure of what to say. "I – uh – I mean… Who are you?" I finally managed to ask, at the same time rising from the water, and standing there shivering.

"I'm not sure if you will have yet heard of me, but all the same…my name is Daphnes Harkonnen." At the name, I almost collapsed again. In a flash, all the old legends ran through my mind, and every single lesson Mother had given me about our ancestors came flooding back. I pictured that fragile blue Ocarina, sitting in a glass box in the Temple, waiting for me to take it tonight. I thought of the maps of Hyrule before it was flooded, and the terrible stories of how it had come to be. And lastly, my mind turned to the Rito, and his talk of the helmaroc king. :It must all be true…:

Remembering my manners, I sank into a bow before the boat, too shocked to even feel foolish. "Your highness-"

"Don't Sheikah, there isn't the time. The Great Sea and all who live on it are in mortal peril, and I require the assistance of your bloodline. Of you."

"Of me…? But, what can I do sir? I'm still a child…I can't even leave the Isle!"

"The dreams," he interjected quietly. I blinked, and hung my head for a few seconds. "You've seen it, haven't you? Just like all those with the sight before you, you've seen the clouds gather. But, not until your visions started have those clouds sent lightning through the sky, or has the darkness pervaded the land so readily… He's back. He's returned to reclaim what was never meant to be his."

"You mean…Ganon himself?" I gasped, my mind again filled with rushing images from history books of monsters and evil, and the one shining light of the Hero of Time.

"That I do… He has come back, and he means to collect the Tri-Force all to himself, and take power, as he was unable to do it in years past. And, this cannot be allowed to happen."

"What can I do though?" I asked, biting my lip, and fiddling with the edge of my sopping cowl.

"You must go see your Mother, and gain the Ocarina from her. Tell her that Daphnes Harkonnen has commanded it. If she doesn't believe you, show her this." A green stone on the end of a long silver chain suddenly appeared, floating before my face. "Take it." I did as I was told, wrapping my fingers around the ice-cold gem. "Show this to her, and she'll know that you tell the truth. When you have the Ocarina, come back here to me. Bring food, weapons, and clothes. We must set off at once."

"But…"

"No buts Sheikah! Do this now! The fate of not only your Isle, but of the whole world, may very well rest upon your speed and co-operation in this matter." When I still did not move, he became angry. "GO!" I pivoted, and dove into the water, not caring about how cold it was now, as I hurried to do as he had said. :Oh Gods, what's happening? Help me, please, I don't know what I'm doing:

* * *

It was about ten minutes later that I arrived upon the steps of the Temple, having sprinted the whole way there, dripping cold seawater all over the pristine marble steps. The doors were closed tight as the inside was being made ready for my induction, and I hammered on them as hard as I could, drawing in great gulps of air as I did so. "Come on, open these doors!" I called to whoever was inside.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity of waiting, the doors were winched open, and I found Mother poking her head around the door to stare at me. "Shadow, what are you doing here? It doesn't start for another – dear Gods, you're soaked!"

"Mother," I panted. "I must speak with you, now!" On hearing the desperation in my voice, she opened the doors further, and beckoned me inside. As soon as I was in, I slammed the doors myself.

"What is it?" she asked anxiously.

"Down in the cove – a boat – Daphnes Harkonnen. Here's his seal. Need the Ocarina, and I have to go with him right now!" Her eyes widened. "Please, hurry!"

"Oh my great Gods," her legs collapsed from beneath her, and she slid down the wall to come to an abrupt stop on the floor.

"Mother?" I bent down next to her. "Are you all right?"

"I can't believe it. I never thought…no…not in my lifetime…nor yours. Oh no. Oh no, oh no!" her head was in her hands, and I backed away, slightly afraid of her behaviour. As if I wasn't scared enough already, having been confronted by the spirit of a long-dead king of myth in the form of a boat, without my Mother also acting strangely.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her roughly to get her to snap out of it.

"Ganon's return," she answered meekly, switching off her panic as quickly as it had switched on. "Not you my love, you don't have to go. Send someone else – I'll go."

"No Hester!" The green stone on the end of the chain jiggled in my palm, and I opened my hand to see that it was now glowing. "Shadow is the first born of the last generation in your line – as such, she is the one to inherit the Ocarina, as you well know. Alas, it seems that I came but a few hours too early, so I shall have to explain this all to her as we travel."

"But, your highness, she's still only a child!" Mother whimpered, shaking slightly on the floor.

"She is on the day of her proven adulthood! She will cope just fine. Now, please, the Ocarina. Say your goodbyes, and hurry! Shadow will return to you, but first, the world needs her assistance."

"I understand, sire," Mother said in a subdued manner, and the stone's glow faded. She looked up at me, and extended a hand – I took it, and helped her up from the floor. "Come along love, come and receive your inheritance." She led me by the hand down the central aisle, to the glass box. Within, I saw the intricately carved pearlescent instrument glinting in the waning daylight. When we reached it, Mother withdrew a key from a chain around her neck, and inserted it into the tiny lock that held down the lid – next, the lid came up, and she delicately picked up the Ocarina.

She dropped it into my hands, and it immediately warmed them with it's magic. I held it close, and looked up at Mother. :I don't want to go: I thought desperately, as I saw the fear I felt reflected in her eyes also. :But I have to…: "I… Goodbye Mother," I said stiffly, looking away. :I have to go.: I whirled away before she could reply, knowing that I wouldn't be able to leave if she did, and made my way swiftly from the Temple.

Luckily, at this time, the bunkhouse was empty, so it was easy to throw open the store cupboard (ignoring Firen's crossbow as it clattered to the floor beside me), and remove all the belongings I would need, and could feasibly carry. I took out my canvas knapsack, and threw in my spare bandages, another bodysuit, a couple of red potions (just in case), some chocolate I'd been saving for a special occasion, rope, and the Ocarina. Then, I strapped my Deku-nuts to my belt, and tied the casting amulet around my neck as I ran out of the bunkhouse.

* * *

Barely twenty-five minutes after leaving the cove, I had returned, and I waded out of the water as quickly as I could, going towards the red boat. I drew his majesty's attention with a loud cough.

"Well done, Sheikah. Now, get in and hoist the sail – I will steer us, and tell you exactly what's going on as we go."

"Now? Right now?"

"Yes – please, hurry!" he urged, and yet again, I did as I was told. As quickly as I could, I climbed into the boat, which was difficult, as it was much smaller and less steady than the boats I was used to. This was more racing boat than anything… The sail was pooled on the deck in a mass of white, yellow and red. The ties had come loose from the short, retractable mast, and I spent a few fumbling minutes tying them back on as securely as I knew how to. "Good – now, the easiest way to hoist is if you take it from the prow side, and winch it up," he instructed.

I cautiously traversed the deck of the small boat, and grabbed hold of the thin mast in both hands, also holding onto the bottom corner of the sail (which I hadn't yet tied off) with my left hand. Then, bracing myself, I pulled it up from the floor, and by leaning backwards, was able to get it into the upright position. By reaching my foot around it, I kicked the pin into place, and the mast was secure.

"Good, now, let the sail catch the wind, and I'll direct you as soon as we are far enough out."

"Yes, your highness."

"If you must called me anything, call me the King of the Red Lions – Red for short. There are some people on the Great Sea who it would be best didn't know my name."

"Oh…" I nodded, even though he couldn't see me, and tied the final corner of the sail to the mast. Then, I threw the sail outwards so that it caught the wind. :Off we go…:

* * *

_Hum. Not quite the way I wanted, but I was trying to get across a more relaxed Sheikah way of life, as opposed to the sometimes 'borg-like' way that they're portrayed. For some reason, I've always seen the Sheikah as a race that are only like that to non-Sheikah people, perhaps because of a betrayal against their kind in the distant past. Or something along those lines. _

'_Shadow' I'm taking to be a bog-standard Sheikah name, just like 'Sheik'. 'Artemis', 'Firen' and 'Delia' are names I stole from 'Thievery'. 'Coryn' is a bastardisation of 'Coryphaeus' which means leader in Latin (I used to the first four letters and then added an 'n'.) 'Hester' and 'Laurie' are just names that I happen to like, and the 'Lady Impa' referred to isn't the 'Impa' from OoT; I'm just taking Impa as another popular Sheikah name. Oh, and the name for the King of Red Lions – I took 'Daphnes' from TWW, and then added 'Harkonnen', which seems to be an 'official' unofficial last name for the royal family of Hyrule in the fan fiction world. _

_And now that that's out of the way…:point: go review. You know you're just itching to! _


	3. Rufus: Mission Impossible

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters from here on out…_

_In the last chapter, I introduced Shadow, the other main character of the story. And now that both characters have been introduced to you all, I think it's time to go back and see how Rufus is getting on amongst the pirates, don't you? _

_Thoughts in italics and : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

_

* * *

__**Rufus: Mission Impossible **_

I'd been on the pirate ship for almost a week, and most of that time I'd spent avoiding Tetra. If I'd thought she was bossy when she was on land, it was nothing to how she was on the ship! Even though she couldn't have been much older than me, all of the pirates on the ship would jump to do whatever she told them, and never ever argued with her. :However, it's completely understandable…she is kind of scary…: I thought as I watched her give Mako a lecture because he hadn't secured the canons properly, and one of them had broken loose during a storm the night before, and gone overboard, leaving a large hole in the side railings of the ship.

"I'd keep out of her way today," Niko whispered to me as he went past, carrying a bucket and mop back down below, as we'd finished swabbing the deck of all the water from the storm the night before. I just nodded, and looked at Tetra from the corner of my eye, noting just how red her cheeks were after shouting at Mako. Noticing my gaze, she glared at me, and then pushed roughly past me to also go down below.

I picked my own mop up, and rung out the bottom part into my bucket – it was already half full with swept up water, and the deck was now (at last) dry. Taking the bucket over to the railings, I threw the dirty water into the sea below, which was still bucking in great swells. Whilst the storm had passed, the weather was still quite rough, and I felt glad that I was working up on deck, as opposed to below. Seasickness is always worse below…(as I'd found out in my short time on board.)

Sighing, I leant on the side railings, and stared blankly at the vast expanse of water all around – on the distant horizon, I could see islands doted about, but near to, there wasn't a scrap of land. :I wonder if Aryll's OK: I thought, watching a couple of seagulls whirling about in the air currents high above. :I hope so… I'm coming to save you Aryll, so hang on…: I sighed again, and rose up from my leaning position; it probably wasn't a good idea to laze around when Tetra was in such a foul mood.

Since I'd finished the task I'd been given, and there was no one else on the main deck, I decided to make my way up the ladder to the crow's nest. I'd only been up there once during the trip, and had almost fallen off of the ladder again when the watchman yelled at me to get lost. But, he wasn't up there either, so…

I grinned mischievously, and leant my bucket and mop against the mast itself, before making my way over to the sturdy wooden ladder. After another look around to check for any of the pirates, I put both hands onto the fifth rung of the ladder, followed by my feet on the first rung, and began to climb up.

:This is so much further than it looks: I realised, when, after a minute, I pulled myself up onto the small flat platform of the crow's nest. The wind up here was a lot stronger, and managed to whip my hat off my head – quickly, I snatched out my hand, and managed to catch it before the wind took it away. Holding it balled in my left hand, I took Aryll's telescope from my belt, and held it up to my eye. Now, the islands on the horizon were a lot clearer, and I could see a menacing place with tall, dark towers, to the northwest.

"Hey kid!" I jumped, and turned around rapidly. "What do you think you're dong up here? Miss Tetra wants to speak to you down below right away! Get moving!" It was Mako, who seemed to be taking out his own anger on everyone else, after being told off by Tetra. I walked around him to get to the ladder, and started to climb down. His annoyed muttering was carried down to me by the breeze, "Stupid kid. Don't see why we're even helping him anyway." I felt my ears burn angrily, and made my way down the ladder even faster than I had been.

"Finally! Took your time, didn't you kid?" Tetra was waiting for me at the bottom of the ladder.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my voice civil, but failing.

"I don't want anything," she snapped. "I'm ordering you to help Niko and Gonzo to fix that hole in the side of my ship. I would get Mako to do it," she raised her voice and looked up to the crow's nest, "but he'd probably only make it worse!" Looking up, I saw Mako scowling down at me, and I pulled a face back at him. "Hey, pay attention!" Tetra grabbed me by the collar, and yanked me towards the hole in the railings. "You, wait here. Niko and Gonzo will be along with the wood and nails and stuff in a minute."

With that, she stormed off, and I took great pleasure in making a very rude hand gesture to her retreating back. Almost as if sensing my parting gesture, Tetra looked back at me over her shoulder, just before dropping through the open cargo trapdoor and down into the hold. :I **really** hope she didn't see that: I thought, chewing my lip nervously.

Glancing around, I managed to spot those seagulls I'd been watching earlier, and again my thoughts drifted to Aryll. :Stay safe sis.: I wasn't left alone to angst for long though, as Niko and Gonzo soon arrived with the wood and nails with which to fix the ship. Niko smiled broadly when he saw me,

"Hey swabbie!"

"Hey Niko!" I returned the greeting, and alleviated him of some of his pieces of wood. Gonzo didn't say anything, instead using actions to convey what he wanted. His first action was to drop his own load of wood, take a hammer from his belt, and withdraw nails from a bucket he'd carried up. I took this is a sign to start working. "So, do you want Niko and me to hold the wood, and you hammer it in?" I asked the silent Gonzo, who grunted. "Is that a yes?" Another grunt. "OK."

"Here, we need this bit first swabbie," Niko directed, pointing to the longest piece of wood. Only now did I realise that they were all slightly curved, so that they'd sit properly against the hull. I moved to one end of the piece of wood, and Niko took the other – we picked it up (or, I picked it up, and Niko made a pretty good impression of helping) and then dragged it over to the gaping hole in the ship's side.

I dropped it, and then began lining up my end with the line of the rest of the ship. After five minutes, Gonzo made an annoyed tut, and pushed me out of the way. "Look kid, it don't matter if it don't look right. We just need to be seaworthy; not like this thing's ever going to win any pageants." He held a large nail in place over the wood, and then bought the hammer down – in that one blow, the nail was driven in right to the head. "Right, next bit, and hurry it up will you? Look's like another storm's on its way."

* * *

It wasn't until late afternoon that we finished patching up the hole, and I was once more allowed to rest with my own thoughts. I made my way down below, and threaded in between dozens of chests and crates until I reached the hammock that Niko had erected for me in between a vat of red wine and a crate of cannonballs. I swung up into the hammock, and after a precarious few seconds of swaying from side to side, was able to sit up again.

I raised my arms and crossed them behind my head to form some sort of pillow, and stared blankly at the wood of the wine vat in front of me, not really seeing it at all.

_"Open your eyes – happy birthday!" I opened my eyes, and looked down amazed. _

"_Your telescope! Are you sure Aryll? I mean, it's your favourite thing since – well, ever!" She just giggled. _

"_Of course I'm sure! You're my big brother after all, so you get to borrow my special gift – just promise to be careful with it!" As soon as she said this, I pretended to drop it, and she scowled, and tapped her foot on the wood of the platform. "Don't be silly big brother! Now, why don't you try it out? I'll tell you how to work it and zoom in and things!" _

I sighed, and slid down in the hammock so that I lay stretched out full length on it. Now, I was looking up at the main deck of the pirate ship, and slanting rays of the late afternoon sun came through the cracks in between each of the boards. When we went over a particularly large wave, one of them fell directly into my eyes, dazzling me. :Ow: I rubbed the sun-dazzled eye with my left hand, trying to get rid of the spots that were dancing across my vision.

"Hey, kid," I was so shocked by the sudden appearance of this voice that I turned over, and fell straight out of the hammock. "Smooth, real smooth," it was Tetra, and she laughed at me as I stood up.

"What?" I asked, rubbing the back of my head, which was sore after connecting with the floor so violently.

"I just thought you might like to know we'll be at the Forsaken Fortress in a few hours if this wind keeps up."

"We will?" I said in a whisper. "Seriously?" She nodded, raising an eyebrow at the grin spreading over my face. "Great!"

"Yes… 'Great', whatever. All you land-folk are the same – stark raving mad… But, anyway, I thought I'd best tell you, because you'll need some sleep if you're going to go in tonight."

"Of course I'm going in tonight, I have to get Aryll out!" I looked at her like she was mad (which, well, she probably is…)

"As I said, whatever. I'll come and get you when we get there." She turned around to leave, and I grabbed her by the shoulder. "Hey!" She reeled around to glare at me.

"Don't," I cut in before she could, "say anything." She scowled, but kept quiet. "I just wanted to say thank you, if that's not too 'nice' and 'sappy' for you of course." She blinked, and then nodded. I thought I saw faint colour coming into her cheeks, but it was so dark down here that I couldn't tell.

"Right…uh…I'll come and get you later then," she said, stumbling over her words. Then, before I could say anything else, she'd gone. Carefully, I got back into my hammock, and then forced myself to try and go to sleep.

* * *

Many sleepless hours later, I heard footsteps coming down the ladder into my area of the hold. "Swabbie – hey, swabbie, get up!"

"Niko?" I peered through the gloom, and managed to pick out the white horizontal stripes on his shirt. "What is it?"

"Miss Tetra sent me to get you. We're here." At those words, I leapt out of the hammock, and managed to land quite gracefully (for once). Then, I ran past Niko, and literally shot up the ladder. Then, of course, I realised that I didn't actually know where on the ship Tetra was… "Oi, wait up!" Niko appeared next to me.

"Where's Tetra?" I asked desperately.

"Up in the crow's nest." If he said anything else after that, I didn't hear, because I immediately went over to the ladder up to the crow's nest and began to climb.

"Tetra?" I called softly as soon as I reached the top, and she beckoned me forwards with a wave of her hand behind her back. I paused to get my breath back, and then went to stand next to her. In front of us was the island I'd seen through Aryll's telescope earlier. Now that night had fallen, lights were roving all over the island, and the sea all around it – I could see a wreck of a ship very much like the one I was standing on, next to some large wooden gates that were bolted shut. The whole Fortress exuded a threatening dread, and I stared at it in apprehension. "That's where she is, isn't it?"

"Yep," Tetra nodded, fixated by the searchlights – I saw her follow one of them with her eyes.

"How do I get in?"

"Good question. The whole place in under really tight guard. This won't work… We'd be spotted before we got anywhere near landing there…" She looked up at me with a frown. "Any ideas kid?"

"Nope. Not unless you know anything else about this place – could I swim in maybe?"

"Don't be stupid! You'd be bombed out of the water before you even got within a hundred yards of the outside wall!" She returned her eyes to the Fortress, and I studied her furrowed brow. For the first time, I saw a scrap of caring show through, but it was gone quite quickly. "All I can tell you about this place, is that it used to be the hideout of a no-good group of pirates we used to compete with… But they were just small time. Now, the place looks like it's pretty dratted dangerous."

"You don't say…" I muttered dryly. She punched me on the arm, and though I'd never admit it to her, it hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Shut up you, I'm thinking."

"Don't strain yourself."

"You're just asking for another punch, you know that?" I stayed quiet. "Ah, look!" She pointed upwards towards one of the towers. I strained my eyes, and could just make out a few birds flapping around a lit window. "Have you ever seen so many seagulls flock like that before? That must be where they're keeping your sister locked up. Now, we just need to figure out a way to get you there… Here, give me that telescope." She turned around and snatched it from my belt.

"Hey!"

"I'll give it back, don't worry kid." She used it to quickly look over the whole fortress, and then handed it back to me. "I have an idea – follow me." She went over to the ladder, and looking down, I saw her take her feet off of the rungs, and slide down, holding onto the sides with her hands. "Well? Come on then!" I swung over the side, and tried to copy the movement – I managed to cling on, and got to the bottom in one piece, but my hands were covered with friction burns and full of splinters.

Tetra placed a hand to her forehead, and stifled a laugh. "Idiot. You should only ever do that if your hands are used to it. Here, give me your hands." I didn't move, so she instead grabbed my throbbing hands, and then held both my wrists with her left hand. With her right hand, she reached into her pocket, and took out a bottle of some red stuff. "This might sting a little, but at least you'll be able to use your hands properly…" She uncorked the bottle with her teeth, and then splashed the contents over my hands.

"Gods!" I exclaimed and yanked my hands from her grasp. Looking at them, I saw that all the wounds were healing up. "Ouch," I winced, as I clenched and unclenched them. "What was that stuff?"

"Red potion. Comes in handy when you don't have the time to spare to wait for wounds to heal," she winked at me. "You'll probably need some. Here," she took out another bottle and gave it to me. "You can keep the bottle and reuse it if you like."

"…thanks…"

"Just don't expect me to give you anything else for free kid!" she suddenly reverted to her normal self when Gonzo appeared. "Ah, Gonzo," he bent down so that his ear was on her level, and they had a quick whispered conversation. Every so often, one of them would glance at me, and I played with the cork of the bottle of red potion nervously. "Got that?" Tetra asked, winking at him, and Gonzo nodded, before wandering off. "Kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Come here, I just need to check your hands." I held out both my hands to her, and she took them both in her left like she had before. Then, before I knew what was happening, she'd pushed me over, and then hit me hard on the head. The last thing I remember was being picked up roughly, and carried somewhere.

* * *

When I woke up, it was to find a raging headache dancing around my cranium. "Oh…what happened?" I groaned, opening my eyes. Tetra's face swam into focus in front of me. Looking down, I registered the fact that I was in a barrel…which was standing on top of a catapult. And I was strapped into the barrel. Understandably, I panicked, and started trying to undo the ropes that held me in place.

"Hey, look, don't struggle. If you really want to get into a dangerous place like that, this is the only way to do it. Trust me. We pirates do this all the time. Don't worry about it! It'll be a piece of cake." She turned around and looked at her crew. "Is everyone ready?" Then, she called to me over her shoulder, "Never you fear, kid, we're pros! We're going to launch you good." When I realised that there was no way I'd be able to get out of the barrel in time, I started praying to the Gods that I wouldn't get turned into a big pile of mushy Hylian during this…

"Three". I shuddered, and grit my teeth together. "Two." I decided I'd rather not see my doom, and closed my eyes. "One." I crossed my fingers, and squeezed my eyes even more tightly shut. "Launch!"

"Argh!" was the only phrase I could think of, but it seemed to suit the occasion well. I risked a peek, but promptly shut my eyes again, when I saw that I was fast approaching a very solid looking grey stone wall.

* * *

I groaned, and rolled over, raking a hand through my hair. :My hat? Where is it: I groped around, not opening my eyes in case it made my headache any worse. I came across a scrap of fabric, and jammed it onto my head – the fact that it fit told me it was indeed my hat. "You sword landed all the way up there? Shoot! I'm sorry, I do apologize – seems my aim was off a little bit." I jumped and opened my eyes, looking around for Tetra. I saw a glowing green stone lying on the ground next to me, and grabbed it.

"Heh… Heh… You should have seen the look on your face when you were in that barrel…simply priceless! Oh, yes, and that stone you're holding – I slipped it into that spoils bag Niko gave you just before we fired you over there. It's no ordinary stone kid; I can see what you're doing through this stone, so I might be able to help you out some. So, if you feel this thing moving, you'd best get it out and talk to me sharpish, got that?"

"Yeah," I murmured, still slightly dazed.

"Good. But, hey, listen. I need this back after you're done saving your sister, so don't go losing it, all right?"

"I won't," I promised, bringing the stone closer to my face.

"Gross, don't do that, I can see right up your nose!" she exclaimed, and I quickly bought the stone away from my face, flushing. "That's better – yuck, don't do that again. Now, go ahead and have a look around – look for some steps – you're sister's high up, so you need to make your way up, right?" I nodded. "I'll speak to you later – use the string on this to put it round your neck kid, then I can help."

"OK." I sat up, and experienced a weird feeling as all the blood rushed to my head. "Whoa…" I used the string on the stone to tie it around my neck, and then stood up. I reached around for my sword, and then stopped – of course, it'd fallen off (that's what Tetra had said). :What do I do without a weapon: I thought worriedly. Looking around, I spotted some steps, and remembering Tetra's advice, I went over to them, and started to climb up.

About halfway up the steps, a large courtyard area came into view – searchlights roved all over it, and more steps were all the way on the other side of it. I watched the patterns of the searchlights, and wondered just how I was supposed to get across there… "Hey!" I jumped at hearing Tetra's voice again so soon. "Check those barrels – there might be an empty one you can hide under. That's what we used to do when we did raids here."

"Right…" I carried on up the steps until reaching the two barrels, and tapped on the sides of them. The first one made a dull thudding noise, which told me it was empty, but the second one sounded hollow. So, lifted it up, and, sure enough, there was a hole in the bottom. Carefully, so that I wasn't seen, I tipped the barrel over, and crawled underneath it. Now, I just had the slight problem of not being able to see. Luckily, when I turned around and stood up inside the barrel, I found a small hole in the wood, which was just at my eye level. :That's handy: I smiled, placing my eye against it.

When there was a gap between the two searchlights, I went forwards, and then stopped just before the light went over me. When it was dark again, I carried on, and then stopped at the next searchlight. :This is easy: I thought, stifling a laugh at the terrible security here. Then, I banged into something. There was a loud roar, and then the barrel was knocked over, exposing me. "You're on your own kid!" Tetra yelped. I looked up at a huge pig-like monster towering over me with a long spear, its huge tusks looking ready to gore me.

It picked me up by my outstretched right leg, and carried me upside down up the stairs I'd been aiming for. "At least you're going up," Tetra whispered quietly. :Yeah, because this is just the right way to save my sister, isn't it Rufus old boy: I thought angrily, as the huge creature swung me from side to side like a rag-doll. I was beginning to feel sick…

The thing carrying me turned abruptly to the right, and a door crash open in front of us. "Found an intruder," it grunted, twisting the words and spitting them out like they were some foreign taste in its mouth. "Put it in." I was handed over to another creature; this one was smaller and smelt worse…it dragged me along the floor by my leg – which wasn't at all comfortable, to say the least.

I was thrown through another door, and before I could get up, it was slammed behind me. Peering through the sudden gloom, I could make out a door made up of wooden bars in the flickering torchlight. :I'm in a jail cell: I thought, being amused by the irony of an island that used to belong to pirates having a jail in it… I stood up shakily, and went over to the bars of the cell. Whatever creature had carried me in had gone again, and all I could see was a bare hallway in front of me, littered with a few clay jars and not much else.

"Hey! Hey, kid, are you OK?" Tetra's voice made me jump, and I swiftly whipped the stone off over my head and held it in my hand. "Oh – phew. Thank the Gods for that. Are you all right?"

"OK I guess. Apart from the fact that I'm stuck here."

"Nah, don't be stupid." I could almost hear the mischievous wink in her voice. "There's a hole in that cell somewhere – there're always holes in cells. Like weak-spots, in case people lock themselves in."

"Can I take it that you know a lot about jail cells from experience?"

"No need to get personal," she tutted. "Just look around – it'll be a loose bar or stone or something. Or maybe there are some vents you can crawl through."

"Vents?" I echoed, wrinkling my nose in disgust at the idea.

"Hey, if it'll get you out, it'll do; just look dummy." I rolled my eyes and put the stone back around my neck. :Dummy? That's not exactly very nice…: I walked along the wooden bars to the end of the cell, and then, one by one, tugged on them to see if any would come loose. None of them would even budge, so I knew it wasn't the bars that would be my way out. "Look around for a different coloured stone or something," Tetra suggested, quiet again.

"The whole walls are the same colour," I hissed back. "It's all hewn out of the rock, not built."

"Seriously?" she sounded surprised. "Hrm…I didn't expect that…"

"Look, I'm not getting anywhere like this!" I exclaimed in annoyance, thudding heavily against the bookcase in the cell. The jar that had been standing on top of it shuddered and then fell off, making a loud crash as it broke into thousands of pieces. "Oops." I looked fearfully at the front of the cell, but nobody came to check out what the noise had been.

"What did you do?"

"Broke something."

"I kinda guessed that – what did you break stupid?"

"Hey, don't call me stupid!"

"I'll call you whatever I please, you bloody-" there was a sudden silence, and then a muffled yell of indignation.

"Hey swabbie."

"Niko?"

"Yep, that's my name. That jar you knocked off – there's a vent entrance behind it."

"How do you know that?" Tetra had broken free of whoever had been gagging her (or whatever had happened.)

"Well, remember when I got caught once…" Niko explained. "Well, anyway swabbie, you can use that to get out of your cell. And, we're going to watch out for you using the stone, but we won't talk, because it might draw guards after you, OK?"

"Yeah – sure. Thanks Niko."

"Don't mention it." The stone stopped glowing, and I patted it gratefully. Then, I scaled the bookcase, glad that the shelves of it were empty, because they provided great footholds for me. Once at the top, I spied the promised vent entrance, and after a second's hesitation as I noticed the cobwebs all over it :I hate spiders: I bit my lip and crawled in, balling up all of my resolve. :After all, what are a few spiders to saving Aryll: She was my little sister, and yeah, she annoyed me sometimes, but right now, I wanted nothing more than to get her out of this place.

As I rounded a corner in the vents, which, like the cell, were hewn directly into the rock, I began to worry. :Where exactly does this thing end? What if it branches and I take a wrong turn and get lost: Just before full-panic could explode in my head, I turned another corner and saw the end of the vent, opening out into the room that was just on the other side of the bars to my cell. I stopped at the opening, and leant out slowly, ready to duck back in at any time. Straining my ears, I couldn't pick up any sounds nearby, and guessed (hoped) that nothing and no one would be around to spot me.

Then, carefully, and with much difficulty, I managed to turn around so that my legs exited the vent first – I held onto the floor of it with my hands, and lowered myself down. I let go, and it was still a fair drop to the floor; when I landed, I rolled over sideways in order to stop from hurting my legs. Then, I was up again, and my shield was on my right arm, just in case something had been lurking quietly just for this moment. When nothing attacked me, I relaxed slightly, and let my shield down.

There was only one way to go, and that was down a slope to the left – when the floor changed to wood beneath my feet, I was terrified that my loud footsteps would alert every single person and creature in the Fortress to my presence. Desperately, I tried to make my footsteps as light as possible, but my new boots made it pretty difficult. :Stupid boots…: I briefly wondered whether I should take them off, but a sudden change in light caught my attention, and I quickly raised my shield. There was a loud thudding noise, and, quivering in fright, I peered around it.

:Nothing: I looked around, trying desperately to find the source of the sound – my eyes fell onto a swinging lantern, which, as I watched, was blown by a strong gust of wind, and smacked into the wall. :Phew…: I let out a breath that I hadn't realised I'd been holding, and put my shield away – it was becoming more hindrance than help.

Another look around didn't turn up anything all that promising – there was a door on the other side of the room, across quite a large gap between two wooden platforms. It reminded me very much of the pirate test Niko had given me… :That's it: I watched the swaying lantern, readied myself, and then ran forwards, launched myself into the air, and by some stroke of luck, latched onto the rope that supported the lantern. Then, using my body as a pendulum, I threw myself forwards, which set the rope swaying.

When it came close enough to the other side, I let go, and dropped onto the second wooden platform. Now that I was closer to the door, I noticed that there was a slip of paper pasted onto the back of it. I walked over to have a look, and found it to be a map. A map of the Forsaken Fortress itself. :Well, that's handy: I thought, prising a pin out from the top of it, and then bringing it closer to my face to study it. :I may as well take this with me: I decided, and then I opened the door.

A chilly blast of nighttime air hit me full in the face, and I gasped with shock as it bit right through my clothes to my skin. It had started to rain again, and a few spatters were swept to me from the balconies to either side by the wind, adding to the cold I felt. "Finally, you're outside," Tetra whispered to me, and, seemingly out of habit now, I clutched the gem she'd given me. "You'll need to take out those searchlights if you want to get anywhere near your sister – all the routes up are covered by lights."

"And how do you propose I do that without a weapon?" I asked, unable to keep the bitter edge out of my voice.

"Uh…improvise!" she stuttered, and then abruptly left.

"Really helpful," I muttered, looking down at the map I held in my hands (slightly damp from the rain). :Well, the first searchlight is up a ladder to the left. So I guess that's where I'm going then…: I rolled the map up, and, lacking anything better to put it in, I stuffed it into the brightly coloured spoils bag Niko had given me.

I made my way to the left, and started climbing up the steep pathway, towards the ladder that I knew was there, though I could barely make it out through the darkness and gathering mist. The rain had eased off to leave only these tiny droplets hanging in the air, not substantial enough to fall, but large enough to blur my vision. At one point, I nearly found myself stumbling over the edge of the pathway I walked, and was only saved by my quick reactions. After that, I ran one hand along the wall to make sure I didn't do it again…

When the wall gave way, I knew I was on the large stretch of ground where the ladder was. I advanced, guessing the position of the tower by looking for the place where the night sky was blocked out. The tower was the place where no stars were – it wasn't that hard to get there really. It wasn't hard to find the ladder either, because I walked straight into it! The rungs were slightly slippery, but I managed to scale it all right.

At the top, I stopped, and peered over before climbing onto the tower top. The creature working the light was a bokoblin, so I at least knew I could defeat it. :Mind you, you did have a sword for that one: I told myself. Oh well, I'd just have to cope without a sword! It hadn't noticed me yet, so, quietly, I completed my ascent, and then crouching low and holding my shield in front of me, I crept closer to the light.

It perked its head when I'd gotten within ten feet of it, and looked around – immediately, it spotted me, and with a screech, launched itself at me. I raised my shield, and wondered exactly how I was supposed to kill it. It whacked my shield with its stick, now (mercifully) silent apart from its loud breathing in the otherwise silent night. :What do I do, what do I do: I jumped backwards to try and collect myself, and something clanged onto the floor. :Aryll's telescope – oh no:

I dodged around the bokoblin and scooped it up from the floor. :I hope I haven't broken it! Aryll will kill me…: The bokoblin came at me again, and reflexively, I swung my left arm at it. The left arm which was still grasping the telescope. It hit the creature squarely between the eyes, and it fell, dazed, letting go of its stick. This was the opportunity I'd been waiting for! I grabbed the stick, and then used the sharpened pointy end to stab the bokoblin. It disappeared, and I crumpled onto the ground, breathing heavily.

"Well, that was fun," I panted, smiling slightly, and checking that the telescope was OK. I held it up to my eye, and played with the zoom. It all seemed to be working all right, so it put it back into my belt, and stood up again. Remembering the whole reason for the fight, I went over to the searchlights, and pulled the lever that the bokoblin had been standing next to – they arced upwards so that both of them shot light into the endless sky. :Perfect:. I looked for the positions of the other two sets of searchlights, and then checked the map to see how to get there. :One down – two to go.:

I took the stick that the bokoblin had dropped with me – after all, I couldn't rely on Aryll's telescope to fight against them with. It might have come through one fight unscathed, but I didn't want to risk breaking it!

* * *

I reached the second searchlight tower easily, after swinging across a couple of rooms using the ropes on which lanterns were hung to get there. It was tricky to get up the ladder with the stick I'd picked up in tow, but I just about managed to do it. Again, I paused before getting to the very top, and peered over to check where the bokoblin was. As I had suspected, it stood much how the first one had. One of its scaly hands was on the lever that controlled the searchlights, and in the other hand, I saw that it held a glass bottle of some dark liquid.

As I watched, it hiccupped, and then looked around guiltily, before taking a swig from the bottle. Then, it burped, and leant heavily on the wooden shelf it had taken the bottle from. I could see at least two more bottles of the same colour liquid from where I stood – the creature threw away the one it had been holding, because the last swig had drained it, and picked up another one. It took its hand away from the lever and uncorked the bottle, replaced its hand and took a swig from the new container.

Whilst it did this, I got right up onto the top of the tower, and ran forwards, stick raised to fight the creature. It squeaked when it saw me, and dropped the bottle, which shattered. It fumbled around and grabbed a stick much like the one I held. Waveringly, it prowled towards me, muttering something under its breath.

Because of its inebriation, the bokoblin moved very slowly, and I made short work of it – it disappeared, and again I went and made the searchlights point up into the sky. Checking the shelf, I found that there were four bottles left. Curiously, I picked one of them up, uncorked it, and smelt was what inside. The smell wasn't as unpleasant as I had feared. It was a sort of spicy, musky scent, with a hint of flowers in it. I'd tried mead before, and not really liked it much – however, I did know that it warmed you up a lot.

:Grandma always said a good tot of mead warmed you up good when it was cold: I remembered fondly. And, on remembering my dear Grandma's advice, I pinched my nose, and took a big gulp of the stuff. It burnt as it went down my throat, and immediately set my fingers and toes tingling as it warmed me from the inside out. It tasted absolutely foul…but at least I wasn't shivering anymore!

I coughed a couple of times to try and get the burning feeling out my throat (and failed miserably). "Hey kid, a week with pirates and already you're learning!" Tetra called in an amused voice. "Bravo – though, maybe you're a little young to be drinking?"

"Shut up. I'm nothing like you and your pirates!"

"Hey, no need to sound so offended kid. What's so bad about being a pirate?"

"You steal stuff, and you hurt people, and make everyone afraid. I think that's all bad enough."

"It's just a way to make a living kid – like any other job."

"Oh, stop calling me 'kid' will you? We're almost the same age as each other, so just stop it!" She didn't answer, and I guessed I'd offended her. "Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it ki- Rufus. It's just a habit… You, just carry on and get your sister so we can get out of here, all right? This place gives me the creeps…"

"You're not the only one," I muttered, drawing the conversation to a close. Looking around, I caught sight of the third searchlight all the way at the other end of the Fortress from where I currently stood. :Joy of joys: I though cynically. Again, I took out the map, which had become decidedly limp from the moisture of the air, and pored over it to plan my route to the next searchlight. When I was sure of the way I had to go, I put the map away again, and made my way back to the ladder.

Once at the bottom of the ladder, I headed over to the door that was opposite the one I'd come out of to get to the searchlight, and heaved it open. There was a loud snuffling sound, and then a loud roar, which reminded me of the pig creature's roar. The door slammed closed in my face, and then rocketed open again, bouncing back from the force of the blow against it. Looking up, I found myself face to face with another of the pig creatures.

It looked at me in surprise, and I took the opportunity to duck underneath it, and into the room beyond. There was another roar as it registered just what it had seen, and I sprinted down the long hallway I'd entered to the door at the other end. This, I threw open without any worry for what was on the other side, and then slammed it shut behind me, before carrying on in my flee. I could hear the thundering steps of the pig-creature behind me. :It's called a moblin: my mind offered for a name, and I accepted it as correct.

Well, the moblin was still thundering after me, and since the only way out of this room seemed to be up, up I went. I scaled the ladders with an almost monkey-like ease, and then careered through one of the doors at the top, out onto a high plateau of the fortress. Pressing my ear to the door, I listened intently. The moblin was no longer running, and, warily, I opened the door a crack, and looked through.

The moblin was standing still in the middle of the room, and, being unable to see me in front of it, it turned around and exited. I remembered reading somewhere that moblin's attention spans were really short…which was really lucky for me at that moment. Breathing heavily after my run, I shut the door, and then leant hard on the wood. :I don't think I've ever moved quite so fast: I thought with an exhausted grin. Then, using the stick I'd stolen from that first bokoblin, I pulled myself into a standing position.

Looking up, I almost whooped when I saw that I was only about fifty yards away from the ladder that led up to the last of the searchlights. Refraining, I instead skulked forwards, stick in hand. Now that I was so used to climbing up and down ladders, this was an easy task, and I was at the top in under ten seconds. I didn't even bother to be so cautious this time, just choosing to advance straight away.

This bokoblin was sober, so moved a lot quicker than the last one – however, it still moved pretty slowly, and I was able to down it swiftly. :If only Orca could see me – I bet he'd be really proud: I swung my stick in an arc around my head, and then headed over to set up the searchlights so that they pointed straight up into the sky just like the other two.

"Well done!" Tetra said. "Now, you just need o get to your sister. And, I think that your sword landed on the pathway up to where she is, so you can get that on the way."

"Really? Great!"

"Yeah…good luck. I need to go and make sure the rowboat will be ready to come and pick you up when you've got her."

"What?" I was shocked – I thought she'd just wait out in the deep water and wait for us to come to her.

"Well, we've helped you this much…I just thought…you know…we may as well get you back to the boat as well. And, we'll drop you off at Windfall Isle – you'll be on your own from there though."

"I…thanks Tetra."

"Don't mention it. And I mean don't mention it. I don't want my reputation ruined!" she laughed softly.

"All right. I'll keep it under my hat."

"Aye, there's enough room under it," she laughed again, and then her voice became serious. "Go on, go and get your sister, all right?"

"All right. I'll see you soon."

"Be careful."

"Yes mother," I sighed, once again taking out the map to plan my route. To my horror, I saw that I would need to go back into that corridor where the moblin had been. :Don't worry, it will have forgotten you even exist by now: I assured myself…but…all the same… Moblins are very big, and very scary…

* * *

I walked forwards, peering through a handy knothole in the barrel I was hiding under, and stopped when the moblin rounded the corner. I'd repeated this action of walk, stop, hide, and move again at least four times – another moblin had joined the first one, so there was only about five seconds between the first one's patrol, and the second one's patrol. Which really didn't leave me much time to move about in. I'd gotten about fifty yards, and there was still at least twice that distance between me and the door that would lead up to the level that Aryll was on.

:Stupid moblins…: I grumbled internally, waiting for this one to go back around the corner. I brushed right past my barrel, pushing it to the side slightly, and I had to contain a yelp as I hit my head on the top of the barrel. The moblin paused and tilted its head to side, before carrying on. :Drat! Now there won't be any time between their patrols: I cursed, as the other one came around the corner just before the other one went out of sight.

:Oh…hang on…this means the next gap will be bigger though.: So, there was an upside to it after all! As soon as the second moblin went back around the corner, I almost sprinted forwards, ignoring the throbbing in my head to make sure I covered as much ground as possible. When I set down again just before the two moblins came around the corner together ten seconds later, I was only forty yards away from the door.

After the next sprint, I was just before the corner turn in the corridor…the next move would be the hardest one, because, if the moblins turned and saw me before I got through the door, they might charge. :I read that they did that.: And the spears they were carrying looked mighty painful… So, I surreptitiously turned the barrel around so that the knot faced backwards – that way, I'd know when the moblins were far away enough for me to run, and I would be able to see how long it took before they turned around for each round.

I sat and waited for a couple of patrols, and then guessed that I probably had about ten seconds in total, after they reached the third pillar along, in which to get to the door. Which would (should) be plenty.

On the next patrol, I tensed my leg muscles, and then, as soon as they were far enough away, climbed out from under the barrel, and ran to the door – I shoved it open with my shoulder, being thankful that it didn't squeak, and was outside. And the fact that nothing was roaring or chasing after me, they hadn't noticed. :Yes: I celebrated silently, and then carried on upwards.

There were no more creatures around, and, after sidling across a few thin ledges, I saw the window around which all the seagulls were flocking. :That's where Aryll is: I thought, and that thought stiffened my resolve to get her out. I shimmied across another thin ledge, and then found myself in a large courtyard area – there were some peculiar looking round holes in the floor, which I hopped over.

I caught sight of the Hero's sword glinting on the ground, and I rushed over to pick it up. As soon as my left hand touched the hilt, there was a funny sound of metal grating against metal. Looking around, I saw that huge silver spikes had come up from those strange holes in the floor, trapping me in this courtyard area. "What the-?" I asked out loud, but I didn't get to finish.

A large moblin just appeared. Appeared right out nowhere, and stood in front of the door, waving its spear at me. :You have to be kidding me…: I thought, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. However, looking down at the Hero's sword, I knew I could do it. Something just sort of clicked, and I went into that weird quiet world that I always went into when I had to fight. I knew the moblin must be roaring, because its mouth was open, showing a row of filed and pointed black teeth, but I couldn't hear anything.

The wind died away, and I slipped my shield off of my back, and raised the Hero's sword. Doing a backflip, I came out of the range of the moblin's staff, and by using my superior speed, I was able to slash at the back of its legs a couple of times, which made it fall over forwards. It was all so easy, so natural to me… I slashed the beast a couple more times, and it disappeared…

As with the last time the battle silence had descended, the sound slowly came back; the loudest one was my heart pounding in my chest, and my ragged breathing. :Gods, I'm really out of shape: I scolded myself, and laughed. Stepping carefully over the staff the moblin had dropped, I stood in front of the large wooden doors that led to where Aryll was. After taking a deep breath and preparing myself for anything, be it an attack, or that Aryll might have been hurt, I nudged the door open with my foot.

A large amount of light assaulted my eyes, and I had to blink really quickly in order to adjust my eyes to the light. I had my sword and shield both held up, and was ready to brace against an attack. However, when I heard a voice I knew really well call my name, I knew that it was OK. "Big brother? Rufus? Is that you?"

"Who else did you think it was?" I called back to her, grinning and putting away my sword and shield. "I've come to get you out of here – do you know if there's a key anywhere?" I looked at the bars of her cell, and then noticed that she wasn't alone. There were two other girls as well – one in a really tatty dress and with brown hair sticking out at odd angles around her face, and another one in a really fancy dress, and her hair perfectly in place. The second girl looked sort of like Tetra, only much, much prettier.

"Big brother, are you listening?" Aryll called, and I stopped staring at the blonde girl and shook my head, blushing guiltily.

"What was that, sorry?"

"I said I don't know where the key is, but maybe you should look over – OH NO! Rufus, watch out!" I didn't have any time to react before the huge black bird that had kidnapped Aryll landed in front of me. I made to get out my weapons, but it flapped, throwing me back against the wall. Aryll screamed, and then I felt huge claws digging into me.

My stomach lurched as the creature took off, and the world turned upside down – I managed to catch a glimpse of Aryll's face, and saw that she was crying. "No…" I groaned, dazed from hitting the wall and feeling sick. "Aryll!" I struggled, but the bird's grip was like iron, and I couldn't get free.

Suddenly, the bird stopped, and hovered in front of a balcony/platform thing made out of wood. Twisting around, I was able to see that it was in fact half of a ship, turned upside down and sitting at the very top of the Fortress. :Weird: I thought bemusedly, not really registering it when a man wearing a large black cloak came out. It was only when he spoke that I really noticed him.

My eyes darted to him, but they may as well not have done. He was surrounded by an aura of complete mystery, and his face was hidden in shadows that, by all accounts, shouldn't really have been there. All I saw were his hands, which looked strong and tanned, and a flash of bright red hair. The man surveyed me for a few seconds, and with each flap of the giant bird's wings, I moved up and down by about three feet.

The man then nodded. "Throw him." I didn't understand what he meant, and was about to speak to him when the bird threw me up into the air, and caught me in its beak.

"Argh! What are you-?" I didn't get to finish, because the bird flicked its head violently to the side, and let go of me. With a scream, I went spiralling through the air. I was so high up that I felt I could almost touch the stars…but my arc had to start going down sometime. As soon as it started to, I blacked out. :Aryll…: was my last thought.

* * *

I felt strong hands pulling me out of some cold water, and then dropping me onto some wooden boards. "Is he OK?" a male voice asked.

"I think so," a woman replied. I was so tired and cold that I couldn't even find the strength to open my eyes. All I could manage was a tired moan, and to roll over. "Hey, shush. Don't strain yourself, all right?" I didn't respond, as tendrils of sleep were wrapping around my mind, and, as hard as I tried to fight them off, they were winning. I made a last ditch attempt, and managed to open my eyes a tiny crack. I could make out a shadowy figure bending over me, and a flash of pink in their light hair. It looked like a flower… "How far to Windfall?"

The answer sounded muffled, and I realised that I was falling unconscious again. :No…get up. Save Aryll. Get…up…: But my body wouldn't comply, and I knew I'd lost the battle. And that meant I'd probably lost Aryll too…

* * *

_American spelling of 'jail' I know, as opposed to the British 'gaol'. :Sigh:. The majority of people on ffnet are of the American persuasion, so I thought I'd be nice and concede on that! The word colour, however, is keeping the 'u'. :Smirk:. Difficult, aren't I? Oh, and Rufus having a tot of mead amused me no end :giggle.:_

_Rufus: The world's gone all blurry _

_Oh, and again I've been using a game-script to help me with this, since I haven't played Wind waker recently (have been getting to grips with OoT Master Quest instead.) But, have used me artistic license in places, so is all good. _

_:Poke: Review!_

_Soda _


	4. Shadow: Dangerous Waters

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_So, last chapter, we saw Rufus being thrown from the top of the Forsaken Fortress by the helmaroc king. Rufus was vaguely aware of being fished out of the water, but other than that, he has no idea what's going on. _

_However, let's just ignore him for now, and see just what the King of the Red Lions (Red for short) has to tell Shadow about everything that's happening on the Great Sea. There be much historical references and talk of the past ahead. You are warned! Be ready to giggle and snigger as I attempt to construct believable histories!_

_Oh, and timing for the story goes as such. Rufus leaves on 'day one', and travels a week to reach the Forsaken Fortress. So, on 'day seven' he's thrown out to sea. Shadow sets out on 'day five' – Opacus Isle is much closer to Windfall than Outset. (For all who haven't played the game, that makes little sense…) Opacus Isle is basically way off the sea-chart to the west side. And each 'square' on the chart I'm assuming to take about twenty-four hours to sail right across. _

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics. _

* * *

_**Shadow: Dangerous waters **_

We travelled along with friendly winds, using the strong north-south current in order to aid the speed of the journey. It was only when Opacus Isle had finally dropped out of sight about an hour after leaving it, that Red deigned to talk to me again. I hadn't dared strike up a conversation with him; well, he was royalty after all! All he'd said before was to tell me which way to steer, and to watch out for rocks and the like.

"Sheikah?" he called, having to talk loudly to be heard over the breeze. I flinched with shock at the sudden noise, and then silently reprimanded myself. :You're starting to act like a Hylian or something. Pull yourself together:

"Yes sir?" I said back, keeping my voice level and respectful.

"Please, it's Red. I don't know your name however…"

"Shadow," I offered, and I saw the dragonhead nod. "You said you were going to tell me what was going on…so, with respect, what exactly is going on?"

"Many things of great importance, Shadow. But, before I can even begin to tell you about the present, I must be sure that you know of the past. First of all, do you know of the myths concerning the flooding of Hyrule?"

"I know a little of the stories – generally, we must wait until adulthood to hear the whole of the tales, but I've overheard snatches."

"Such as…?"

"Well, I know that the Hero left to go on some quest, and whilst he was away, Ganon broke the Gods seal and escaped the Realm. And then Hyrule became flooded…though I'm not sure of the middle of the story," I admitted, ducking underneath the boom as the sail swung around to catch the strongest of the wind.

"In that case, I shall have to tell you the whole of it." He was silent for a few seconds, and when I looked, I saw that his eyes were closed, perhaps in reminiscence? "Ah…it's been so many years since Hyrule last saw the sun and sky… Sometimes it's hard to believe it ever existed at all…" He sighed, and shook his head. "Sorry. Sometimes, the memories, they…" he left the sentence hanging, and I made a non-committal sound of understanding in the back of my throat. I wasn't used to dealing with such open emotions…especially when it came to people I barely knew.

"Anyway," he heaved in a great breath. "The story goes something like this…

"Long ago, there was a great kingdom that secretly housed a golden power of the holy Trio, Din, Nayru and Farore – creators of the kingdom. This kingdom was called Hyrule; adjacent to Termina and allied with the prosperous Labrynna. Hyrule was a land of low rolling meadows, lush green forests, high mountains, and tranquil peace." I was immediately enraptured with the story, as I had never before heard it told with such…such feeling perhaps? Even our best storytellers didn't seem to hold the same skill as his majesty when it came to telling this story. Though…he had been there…Hyrule had been his kingdom…so perhaps it was only to be expected.

"However, as great and prosperous as Hyrule and its allies may have been, there was still room for discontent and ambition amongst the people. A man of great ambition discovered and took the golden power to use for his own evil devices. However, whilst the figure was able to shed darkness upon the entire kingdom, he did not reckon with magic even more ancient than the golden power. The magic of the resilience of people to the pull of evil. The magic of courage even in the face of impossible danger."

I shivered as he mentioned danger, and remembered the pictures of Ganon and his monsters from history books hundreds of years old. "His oversight cost him dearly, for, whilst he held the great power, he did not hold all of it. It split into three equal parts – one for power, which resided with him still, one of wisdom, and one of courage. The one of courage found it's home in the heart of a young lad clad in green, who seemed to have come out of nowhere.

"This boy held in his hand the blade of evil's bane – the Master sword. And, with its power and the great power of courage within him, he was able to summon the strength to seal away the dark figure and restored light to the kingdom. This boy was named by the people, as the Hero of Time."

"Because he had travelled through the thin layers of time in order to save the land…" I whispered under my breath. Red turned around to look at me with inquisitive eyes.

"Indeed… I thought you hadn't heard this part of the story?"

"I…I haven't…" I realized, and scratched the back of my head, bewildered.

"The sight's becoming very strong in you already," he said darkly. "This is not good. It only ever becomes this strong in times of great peril… I must continue this lesson as quickly as I can. Gods only know how much time we have left before the real danger begins."

:Real danger: My eyes widened, and I felt my stomach churn. :Calm down you fool. This is what you've been trained for all your life, isn't it: I busied myself with the sail, and listened to Red as he carried on.

"This story was passed from generation to generation, in order that people would not forget the courage that had once saved them all from disaster. This story, over time, as the people from the time of its creation disappeared from the world, became a legend, and then a myth. Then a fell wind blew, unveiling the dark one's return to unleash darkness and evil upon the kingdom once more. Having no other choice, the kingdom's people could only hope that the Hero of Time would return once more to save their precious land.

"All their years of disbelief were swept aside as they fell to their knees, and begged Goddesses they'd neglected for centuries to help them. No hero came, no help came… The Goddesses no longer held control over the hero, for he was a renegade, cursed due to the great power he still held. So, there was little they could do… Fate had taken its toll on the kingdom, and the Goddesses, unable to save the kingdom they had created, warned the people to flee to the mountaintops.

"Then, the three of them, with their great control of the elements, made it rain. The rain came down in torrents, flooding the low lands and completely submerging the whole kingdom. Those who hadn't made it to the mountains did not survive. Those that did, had to rebuild their lives on their secluded islands. What happened to Hyrule, would be the obvious question, would it not? Is it still there, perfect in its entirety below the sea?

"Not even I'm sure," he admitted. "All over the Great Sea, the kingdom has become nothing more than a memory – a legend told to children to send them to sleep. On a certain island, by the name of Outset Island, it has become customary to dress young boys in green when they reach the age of thirteen. In days past, they would learn the ways of battle, but, that is not the way anymore. One can only hope that at least one of those boys was able to also learn the way of courage; the way of the Hero of Time.

"That's all of the old legend that I can tell you. Do you understand all of it?" he asked kindly.

"Yes," I nodded, and then remembered he couldn't see me, because he was facing forwards again. "I understand. But…what does this have to do with me?"

"That's what I was about to go on to!" he explained with a small chuckle. "I decided to leave that till last, because it's by far the more complicated thing to explain."

"Oh dear," I murmured. "Well, you'd best get started telling me then, because I'll probably ask a lot of questions."

"Ask as many as you wish to…"

"Thank you." :I intend to.:

"Now, during the adventures of the Hero of Time, the Sheikah had many dealings with him. I take it you do know of his story?"

"Of course – everyone knows the legend of the battles he waged."

"Good. I wasn't looking forward to having to recount that…" he whispered sadly. "Anyway, as I was saying; the Sheikah had many dealings with him. One such Sheikah man, by the name of Sheik, even helped to guide the young Hero throughout his quest to save Hyrule from the dark one. His teacher, the great Duchess Impa, and your however many times great grandmother-"

"Twenty-two times," I interjected. (About a millennium or so…)

"Really? It has been a long while indeed! Well, your twenty-two times great grandmother was the guardian of the Princess Zelda of the royal Hylian family, who was the holder of the power of wisdom. She removed the Princess from Hyrule, taking her abroad during the dark one's reign to the land of Labrynna. The remaining Sheikah, under the Duchess Impa's orders, protected the enduring Hylians as best they could from the dark one and his creatures.

"A select few were chosen to look after the Hero whilst he was in his seven year sleep in the Realm. One of those chosen was Sheik himself. As such, at every stage of his journey, the Hero was (even when he didn't realize it) watched and protected by the Sheikah people. And, when he had defeated the dark one, the Sheikah were there in order to rebuild the kingdom that had been complete decimated by the dark one's actions.

"When the Princess returned, she relieved the Hero of the Ocarina of Time – that very instrument of magic that you now own. She then bequeathed it on the Duchess Impa, so that it could never again fall into hands that could use it to do wrong. Ever since then, it has been passed down your family line, always to the firstborn child, whether they are male or female, on the day of their adulthood. As soon as the child has siblings, they have begun to see visions of the darkness that has slowly been closing around the land. It was one such holder of the Ocarina – the Duke Artemis I believe?"

"Aye, that was him. The one who led the tribe to Opacus mountain?"

"Yes, him. Precisely. And, ever since then, the old traditions have been kept alive on Opacus Isle, and every firstborn in your line, as soon as they reach adulthood, have been told the story of their inheritance."

"But, I just missed my induction by a few hours," I concluded.

"Something that I deeply regret, but the urgency of the danger over the Great Sea called for me to collect you immediately."

"Of course – that I understand completely. And, as a Sheikah, I am ever in your service."

"I would rather," he said fairly stiffly, "that you were in my service because you wished to be, rather than it being your duty."

"Pardon?" I was genuinely shocked.

"I shall admit that I was never very fond of your people's values. Whilst I was still alive and ruling over Hyrule, I found it rather unnerving the way in which your people are so detached about everything. The way that you will throw your lives away just to protect royalty, when you could quite easily put your skills to better uses and save more people!"

"I…" I was stumped. Never before had anyone attacked my beliefs! And now that they did, I wasn't sure how to fight back. I wasn't sure if I even should fight back, because wouldn't that just be letting my emotions get the better of me:Oh, I'm so confused…: I'd never been very good when it came to emotional control, and now I was scared I was going to lose it altogether. :Drat it: "Well, it's just the way we're raised. They are our beliefs, and if you do not agree with them, then that is your decision," I said coldly, trying to bring the conversation to a close before it became too personal.

"It is," he bit back. "Steer northeast – we shall stop and rest for the night on Western Fairy Isle. There are no monsters there, and there's a cave where you can rest." The sun was already beginning to dip below the horizon, so I was glad for the suggestion, even though it would be a good few hours before we reached land. :A good, few, awkward hours: I thought with an internal curse.

* * *

Night had fallen and all the stars were out before we reached Western Fairy Isle. About half a mile off shore, I began to bring down the sail, so that we began to slow down. By the time we touched onto the sands of the island, we were drifting forwards so slowly that I barely noticed the change in speed. "The cave is just up that slope there. Be careful – I know I said there weren't any monsters, but Gods only know how quickly his influence may have spread since I was last here." I tied a length of rope around the prow, and then tied the other end to a tree that stood near the water's edge. "Thank you," he nodded his head in gratitude, and then his eyes drifted shut.

His warning still lingering in my ears, I took out my whip and held it tightly in my right hand as I ascended the slope towards the tall, shell-like cave he'd directed me to. I got to studying it as I walked up to it, and realized that it wasn't just 'shell-shaped'… :That must have been one large mollusc: I thought, walking around the thing to try and find the entrance. However, it was blocked by a large pile of stones. :Drat.:

Annoyed and tired, I placed a hand over my casting amulet, and pointed my other hand at the pile of rocks. :Move out of the way. Pile yourselves on the other side. Move out of the way of the entrance.: I concentrated solely on the rocks, which began to shudder as I repeated what I wanted to happen over and over in my mind. After a couple of minutes of intense concentration, the whole lot of the pile flashed out of sight, and, by the slight shaking of the ground a few seconds later, crashed down on the other side of the giant shell.

:I really should have bought some green potions with me: I thought ruefully, as I entered the cave, and dropped my bag next to the cave wall. Not sure of what might be further back in the cave/shell area, I decided to stick near the entrance, and sat down on the hard ground next to my bag. Whilst the walls didn't make the most comfortable pillow to lean on, by picking up my bag and sticking it behind my head, I managed to get relatively comfortable that way. :I've had worse: I told myself, remembering the month of survival training I'd done during the winter of last year. :In fact, this is quite comfortable in comparison.:

Even though I was tired, I found that I couldn't drift off like I wanted to. Too much was going on in my mind, and no matter what I did, I couldn't quell the thousands of questions and worries in my head. I looked up at the night sky, which was gaining a covering of heavy clouds. :I hope a storm doesn't start up. I don't fancy riding out a storm in that tiny excuse for a boat.: Almost as if expecting him to hear my thoughts and come chastise me, I looked fearfully about. I shook my head in disbelief when I realised what I was doing, and turned my attention to the part of the sky I could still see.

The moon was a silver sickle in the sky, slicing through the velvet blue like a knife through butter. I shivered; it was still very cold this early on in spring, and I hadn't even thought to bring a blanket. No matter… I sat forwards and pulled my pack onto my lap. From there, I took out my extra bodysuit, and then wrapped it around my shoulders to keep them warm. Then, I replaced the pack as a pillow behind my head, leant back, and drew my knees to my chest. :I think that's about as comfortable I'm going to get tonight.:

I turned over the day's happenings in my mind, contemplating what Red's motives could be. Did he want to kill Ganon, or merely seal him away again? I would have thought killing him would be better, because then he wouldn't be able to wreak havoc ever again. And…Red had sounded so sad about his old kingdom. A stab of empathy ran through me when I remembered the utter brokenness of his voice as he talked to me about it. It hardly seemed fair, after all Hyrule had already been through.

Mind you, if all that hadn't of happened, then the Sheikah would probably still be serving the royal family, and I wouldn't have had so much freedom to do pretty much what I wanted. If the tribe had still been serving the royal family, I'd probably still be in training, and we'd have to go back to all of the old ways…including the harshest of the laws. 'No Sheikah, whether male or female, must ever fall in love, or feel true hate, towards any other person. Emotions must be kept hidden at all times, because emotions will distract from your duties.'

It used to be that love was illegal – you could get kicked out of the tribe if you fell in love with someone…and it was even worse if the person you fell in love with wasn't a Sheikah. I shuddered:thank the Gods the laws aren't like that anymore. I don't see what Red was talking about! Our laws are fine – he's just so used to the complete shambles of Hylian law that he can't see that ours are better.: With this thought firmly in my mind, I snuggled up under my extra bodysuit, and closed my eyes.

:He just doesn't understand. Not many Hylians do…:

…

…

_Darkness. All around. Stabs of light scattered intermittently, flashing on and off, completely disorienting me. A laugh, cruel, twisted, echoing around…wherever I was. I couldn't tell if I was standing or sitting – I could have been floating. It was too dark to tell, and I was too tired to try and discover where I was anyway. _

_A face – suddenly there, suddenly smiling, only inches from my own. Handsome, certainly – kind…not at all. Menace and danger was conveyed in a glance. I blinked, and the face was gone. I couldn't remember what it looked like. There was nothing at all, apart from the hair in my memory. Bright auburn tresses, curling and swaying in a wind that didn't exist. _

_Movement. I was falling. Stop. Pain. _

I sat up, sweat drenching me with a cold clammy feeling. I opened my eyes, but no light came to them, not even from the stars, not even from the moon. I lay my hand on my whip, and fumbled with my other to get out a Deku-nut. This I threw, and in the afterglow, I managed to ascertain that I was in an underground room of some kind. I threw another Deku-nut, and this one lingered with its light a while longer. At one end of the room was a fountain, which bubbled merrily with crystal clear water – the ceiling was so high up that I couldn't see it. On either side of me were shallow pools of water, acting as margins for a white marble path which led directly to the fountain.

Knowing that I couldn't just keep throwing Deku-nuts forever, I clicked my fingers together, and a small ball of fire hovered in front of me. :Magic's awful useful at times.: I plucked the ball of fire from the air with the thumb and forefinger of my left hand (as my right hand was still on my whip), and then held it up to further study the room I was in. (The reason I could do this was because it was my magic, so whilst it would burn anyone else who touched it, to me, it was just a nice warm feeling at the end of my fingers.)

I walked over to the fountain, because there were two torches on the platform in front of it, one on each side, and they'd give me more light than my tiny ball of flame could. As I made my way up the steps to the platform, I saw that there was an intricate design picked out in red and gold on the floor. It was covered with a layer of dust, and I swept it away with the toe of my boot. Now, I could see it more clearly, and I recognized it from somewhere…though where, I wasn't quite sure.

Luckily, there was already fuel in the torches, so all I needed to do was stuff my ball of fire over the top of each one of them – each torch lit immediately, and I snuffed out my own fire. Now, I was able to study the room at complete leisure. :I wonder how I'm going to get out: I thought, and I looked up. I could remember falling from my dream, so perhaps – there! I could see a small part of the night sky peering through a hole in the roof of this room, about thirty feet up.

The walls were shimmering like diamonds, but, as I reached out to touch one, I realized it was just a trick of the torchlight. The walls were damp with droplets of seawater, and the flickering flames danced across them, giving the strange illusion. The other thing about the walls that was strange was how straight they were. They were completely and utterly flat from floor to ceiling…which was going to give me problems if I wanted to try and climb out. No footholds, handholds, nothing.

:Maybe if I had my pack.: Just as I thought that, I caught sight of the thing, crumpled on the floor along with my spare bodysuit. Red liquid was pooled around my pack :drat, one of the bottles broke, and had completely stained my other bodysuit. I picked it up, and wrung out as much of the potion as I could. "Stupid potion," I muttered, rolling the sodden clothing into a ball, and then opening my pack to stuff it in.

I opened my pack so violently however (I was just incredibly annoyed by that point) that the Ocarina tumbled out onto the floor. I stuffed the stained bodysuit into the pack, and then scooped up the Ocarina from the floor. It gave me some weird comfort just to hold it, so, instead of putting it back into my pack, I kept it out, and held it in both hands as I went back to the steps.

Lacking any other bright ideas, I sat down on the steps, and turned the Ocarina over and over in my hands. Again, I looked up at the ceiling, and ascertained that, no, there was no way I'd be getting out that way… :I'll probably have to use my magic. I hope I've enough of it left…: I had used an awful lot recently…and I hadn't had any green potion for over a day now. (Usually, I'd drink some every evening to keep myself in top shape. But I hadn't had time to get any before I left the Isle.)

Without being fully aware of what I was doing, I raised the Ocarina to my lips, and began to play. It was simple enough…it seemed to work much on the same principal as the flute, which I had learnt how to play since about five years old. I played the Nocturne of Shadow – the song of my people; the Sheikah. The song I had been named for. The Shadows. The melody soothed me, and I was able to stop worrying about how I was going to get out of this room for a few minutes.

"Lovely, simply lovely." I managed to contain myself, and calmly dropped the Ocarina from my lips. Then, I turned around, whip ready to strike, to see just who had spoken to me. When I saw, all the things I'd been taught evaded me, and I dropped my whip in surprise. "Oh…dear me. I didn't mean to startle you, Sheikah. I was merely intrigued as to who had managed to break the seal on my door and get in here."

A woman was floating above the gurgling water of the fountain, glowing a phosphorescent blue, and each time she moved, sparkling particles of the same colour drifted away from her, and settled on the water below. She had four arms – yes, four – clad in elbow length black gloves. The skin above these gloves was a startling azure blue, which matched almost perfectly with the dress that swirled around her form, completely hiding her feet. She had no wings, but I knew full well that she could only be a fairy.

"Can you speak Sheikah?" she asked kindly, extending one of her arms towards me in a friendly greeting.

"Yes," I answered, perhaps a little petulantly, and then carried on to cover up my mistake. "I can speak. My name is Shadow, and I'm sorry to have intruded…it was completely unintentional."

"Oh, it's no intrusion. I'm quite pleased to have company actually. Some great brute came along and sealed me in here, and no one's been to see me since!"

"I see…"

"Exactly! Now, I think I know who you are…but I'm not sure. Are you with the King of Red Lions by any chance?" I nodded. "Wonderful! In that case, I'd like to give you a gift."

"A gift? Oh, no, I haven't done anything to-"

"Oh, don't worry about doing anything in return. I'd been saving this for a long time until the day you should come along. Have you a casting amulet on you?" I bent my head, and untied the cord of string that held the amulet in place. "Ah, perfect!" She took it with one of her sets of hands, and held it briefly. Then, she lifted it up, bringing her other set of hands up also, so that they formed a second layer around my amulet. She opened both sets of hands, leaving the amulet suspended without aid in midair.

As if that wasn't odd enough, she then blew onto it, and blossoms of pink and white appeared in the air, raining down onto my head and shoulders. I caught one, and smelt the heady scent of lilies, even though the flower looked more like a lotus to me. This rain of flowers was over quickly, and she handed me back my amulet. "There you are. Now, you won't need to drink quite so much green potion…it will take much less effort to cast spells with that."

"I – thank you!" I bowed, not knowing quite what else to do.

"That's quite all right," she giggled good-naturedly. "Now, not to be rude, but I think I should send you back to the surface so you can finish your nap."

"That would be most helpful."

"Oh good. Well, off you go then!" She clapped both sets of hands, and suddenly, I was once more sitting in the cave-shell entrance, pack behind my head as a pillow, Ocarina in my hands, and amulet around my neck. The moon was at its highest point in the sky, and, with a yawn, I leant back, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

When I awoke the next morning, it was to find that the gathering clouds had produced a downpour of rain. Groaning, I looked out at the torrents pattering onto the land and the sea with great fervour. :I hate rain.: I yawned and stretched, and rubbed the sleep-dust from my eyes. As I did this, I dislodged something from my shoulder. Looking down to the muddy slush of the cave floor, I saw that a pale pink lotus blossom was sitting on the floor, half crushed but still beautiful.

I scooped it up, and shook the muddy water from its petals. Then, feeling daring, I placed it in my hair, so that it was over my right ear. That done, my stomach let out an angry growl. :Be quiet: I told it mentally, thinking to just how few supplies I'd bought with me. :I hope I can stop somewhere and buy some more, because a bar of chocolate isn't going to see me through for very long.: For now, I only took a cautious two squares from the bar of chocolate in my pack. I yanked my cowl down, stuffed them in my mouth, and then pulled my cowl back up again. They did little to satisfy my hunger, but at least my stomach refrained from further growling noises.

"Are you up yet?" Red called through the green gemstone, and I hurriedly searched around for it. I found it, and held it in my hands.

"Yes, I'm up," I answered, looking out at the rain, and dreading the sentence I knew was to follow.

"Well, come on then, we need to get going for the day."

"Of course. Hang on, I'll be right there." I put the stone in the front pocket of my pack, and then shrugged it onto my back. The Ocarina was still out from the night before, and I had to stop, remove my pack and put that in. That done, I again swung the pack onto my back, stood up, and after a brief hesitation :I really hate the rain: I forged ahead into the drizzling morning.

Red was right where I'd left him tied up the night before, though he had drifted slightly up the beach along with the midnight tide, and then become half-stranded on the golden sand of the shore. "There you are – come along, we haven't time to waste. I want to get to the Mother and Child Isles before nightfall. I believe there's a storm brewing, so we must hurry."

"Wouldn't it be better to weather out the storm here, and then head out after? These waters are extremely dangerous even when it's calm," I reasoned, reeling off the knowledge about the Great Sea that I'd learned from my many textbooks.

"I know…" he agreed quietly. "And, in any other situation, I would be inclined to agree with you. However…it's imperative that we reach Windfall Island by tomorrow evening at the very latest. I only wish I'd been able to collect you with more time to spare."

"Oh. Well, in that case, I'll get us ready to sail right away. With any luck, we'll reach land before the storm gets too intense."

"I'm sorry to put you in such danger, but it will pay off in time, that I can assure you of."

"Of course si- Red," I corrected myself before he had to. "First however, I think I'd best get some of that rainwater out of you, hmm?" I was amused when he turned around, and his eyes widened at the sight of quite so much rainwater sloshing around on his deck.

"That'd be a good idea," he nodded. "I've got a bucket somewhere around here." As soon as he said it, a bucket of the same vibrant red as he was appeared as if from thin air. Knowing so much about magic, this didn't shock me as it might someone else, and I just grabbed the bucket, and began to bail water.

When I'd bailed all the water that I could from the boat, I put the bucket down on the deck, and stepped out. I walked over to the tree that I'd used to tie the boat up with, and undid the rope that held it into place. After that, it was a simple matter of shoving the boat down the beach and into the lulling waves. I stepped in, drew the rope in and coiled it up on the deck. The sail, as soon as I lifted it, filled with the wind, and we shot away from Western Fairy Isle. I had to wrestle against the strong wind to be able to tie the sail off, but I managed, and then was able to pretty much relax, and allow the wind to propel us forwards.

* * *

The rain wasn't very pleasant at all, and it was now twice as worse as it had been because we were heading straight towards it at high speed. I felt glad of my cowl and my bodysuit, which protected most of me from the worst of the driving gushes of water pouring down from the heavens. My hands and top part of my face, however, were absolutely frozen within minutes of setting out. I gritted my teeth and bore it – I didn't have any gloves with me, so there wasn't anything I could do about it.

Red didn't try to talk to me unless it was absolutely necessary as we went along, because the howling wind and driving rain made it quite impossible to hold any sort of conversation. The words, as soon as they were out of our mouths, were whipped away from us and taken away by the prowling pre-storm winds. From the brief snatches I did manage to hear however, I ascertained that he was almost as nervous as I was about the imminent storm.

It was only a matter of time until it hit us. And, until then, we'd have to combat against these already horrible conditions. :Just what I always pictured my first full day of adult-hood to be like: I thought exasperatedly as I strained to keep us going straight. At some point, we'd managed to pick up an entourage of sea-creatures, and they'd been following us for hours, every so often nudging into the side of the boat.

The first time this had happened, I'd almost found myself thrown over the side and into the waiting jaws of a particularly nasty looking shark-like creature. Not quite like a shark though…it was more like a :oh, what are they called? Why didn't I pay more attention in class when we did sea-creatures: I think it was what's called a Gyorg, but I wasn't sure… Well, anyway, lots of them had been following us, and whilst I'd been able to take out a couple with my whip, there were still dozens of them.

I'd taken to keeping at least one arm at a time wrapped around the mast, so that whenever they decided to launch another attack, I was braced and ready for them. There had been so many that I'd lost count, and I wasn't even sure how long we'd even been travelling anymore. Time seemed to have blurred into some inconsequential part of the journey, overrun by the cold of the rain and the constant danger of being overturned by the ravenous creatures surrounding us.

"Now I see what you meant when you said these waters were dangerous!" Red yelled over the gusting winds. "Perhaps we should stop, and you should get rid of these beasts?"

"No, it'd be best if we kept going. It's our speed that's going to get rid of these creatures. If we stop now, we won't ever get started again in this wind, and then we'll be sitting targets for them." Just as I said this, we were again rammed, and I was flung right into the mast – I clung onto it for dear life for a few seconds, in case another attack was launched to catch me whilst I was off balance. Luckily, the creatures didn't seem to be quite so organised, and I let my right arm away from the mast to get my whip.

One of the Gyorgs was near the surface, and with a deft flick of my wrist, I managed to make contact with my whip before it submerged once more – electricity danced across it's dorsal fin, and it leapt clear out of the water. I didn't have any time to celebrate however, because when it crashed down, it sent a huge swash of water over the boat and I, and I quickly had to bail water out from the keel. We needed to go faster…

"Red, I'm afraid the oars are going to have to go – we need to go faster!"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!" There was a brief pause, and then a call of,

"All right then, chuck them overboard." With his permission, I felt only a tiny pang of guilt as I threw first one, and then the other oar into the rushing sea below. Both of them I timed so that they would also hit one of the many Gyorg following us; in effect, killing two birds with one stone. We were now going faster, and had two less of the creatures after us.

A streak of lightning pierced the sky, and, instead of rain, tiny hailstones began to patter into the water and wood of the deck. Instantly, there were piercing howls from the Gyorg, who disappeared beneath the waves. :That doesn't look like a good sign…: My thoughts were proved correct when we were lifted up on a huge swell, and then fell down into a huge trough.

"I've never seen waves pick up so quickly before!" I yelled, once again using the mast as my support.

"Me neither!" Red bellowed back. "I have a feeling this isn't any normal storm." I ducked instinctively as the wind suddenly changed direction – now it was blowing due east, and I had to pull hard on the rudder to bring us about before we were blown sideways and over. "Watch out!" The warning reached my ears only two seconds before the Gyorg reached the prow. I fell over backwards, and smashed into the mast.

:My head…: The thing attacked again. :At least there's only one this time.: Forcing myself to sit up, I was then able to creep up the mast, clawing my way into a standing position. Once in that all too familiar position, with my left hand wrapped around the mast, and my right hand hanging freely, I took out my overworked whip, and scanned the bucking water for the monster attacking us.

"To port!" I looked to the left side, and there it was – not a Gyorg at all, but something completely different…and by the looks of the shadow it was casting as it moved through the water, it was huge… Not having the faintest clue what it was, I didn't know how to fight it. So, hoping that they'd work against whatever was advancing on us, I took out a couple of Deku-nuts (having to let go of the mast to do so), and held my whip in my other hand. Rushing over to the portside, I leant on the low carved rail, and threw one of my Deku-nuts so that it landed directly in front of the large shadow.

It cracked open as soon as it hit the water's surface, and, to my delight, the shadow stopped, and whatever it was began to sink downwards. Obviously, as it was no longer propelling itself forwards, its own weight was dragging it down. Not knowing how long the creature would be stunned for, I remained poised to throw the second Deku-nut as soon as it came back into sight.

The wind took another sudden change in direction, and this time, not even my sixth sense gave me any warning of it. The boom caught me in the small of the back, knocking me out of the boat altogether. Through sheer willpower, I threw both arms behind me, and my right hand managed to latch onto the sail itself, and I closed my fingers around the fabric, my right arm straining as it had to take all of my weight in a very uncomfortable position. "Shadow! Are you all right?" Red called, looking around at me with anxious eyes.

"I'll be fine, just as soon as I can get back in," I called, surprised at just how calm I had managed to sound. Considering the fact that I was hanging about four foot outside of the boat, with only a handful of sail to stop me from falling into the water, and there was still that big – whatever the hell it was – creature to worry about.

As though it had heard me thinking about it, the shadow returned, and this time, it came at a much faster pace than before – I swung around so that my left hand was also wrapped in the sail – tears had begun to appear where my fingers had worked small holes into the cloth, and this sudden movement made them much larger. I dropped down, creating tears as I went, and the wind fell out of the sail somewhat, so that our speed was cut in half.

My feet were now trailing in the water, and with a grunt of exertion, I managed to drag them out again, and pulled them upwards towards the rest of me, so that I was crouching in midair, now clutching onto the boom for dear life.

The creature finally erupted from the water behind me, and I felt the spray as it exited the water. Turning around, I met the sight of a wide mouth completely full of teeth – I lashed out with my legs, and managed to catch it on the top of the head. I used this surface as leverage, and pushed down on it as hard as I could. This managed to push both the boom and myself back towards the boat, and when I let go, I tumbled, not into freezing water and certain death, but into very solid wood.

Of course, that wasn't to be it…

Now, the creature had decided to start ramming into the side of the boat again, and even came up from below, which nearly capsized us. "What is this thing?" I yelled exasperatedly, as I threw another handful of Deku-nuts into the water. At this rate, they'd all be gone in minutes!

"Gods only know!" Red said. "I just wish it'd leave us be!"

"You're not the only one!" I threw the last of my Deku-nuts over the side, and then collapsed to the deck, and grabbed onto the rudder to try and steer us out of the way of yet another attack. It missed, but barely. The wind, which had been behaving so erratically for the past half an hour, changing direction again and again, suddenly died completely. The clouds cleared from the sky, and looking up, I could see the sun making a watery appearance low on the western horizon.

"What just happened?" I asked, tentatively peering over the side to see where the monster had gone.

"I'm not sure… Though I do have a suspicion."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"Why don't I do that for you, my dear?" a great voice boomed companionably. Looking in the direction of the voice, I could scarce believe my eyes. Perhaps I had hit my head much, much harder than I'd thought. "Are you all right m'lady? You seem a little quiet." I nodded dumbly, and slowly stood up, keeping my eyes trained on the speaker.

It was the great, green, toad-like God of the winds, Zephos. He floated high above on a fluffy white cloud, the only cloud hanging in the sky all over the Great Sea. "Sorry about all that bother back there. It seems my brother's shrine on Dragon Roost Island has become broken somehow, and he's not very pleased about that. I told him and told him that it'll be fixed as soon as the right stone can be found to do it, but he just won't listen. He's always had a terrible temper, so, when he saw you come along, he decided to throw that terrible storm, and a few of his pets at you."

"That's quite all right, your worshipfulness. We all know how Cyclos's temper can be," Red called up, and Zephos started.

"Oh my! King of the Red Lions is it? I thought I recognised the boat from somewhere. How have you been?"

"All right. Though recently, things have taken a turn for the worse, what with Ganon…"

"Ah yes," Zephos nodded sagely. "I take it you're off to go and find the new Hero then?"

"Yes, that's what I'm aiming to do anyway."

"I see…" His attention fell upon me again. "Who's this quiet lady then?"

"My name's Shadow, sir," I answered quietly, in awe of the God sitting there before me. :My first day of adult-hood just got much better:

"Ah, 'silent as a…' it seems!" He chuckled at his own joke. "Now, where were you heading before my brother intercepted you?"

"The Mother and Child Isles," Red answered.

"All right. Well, I can get you there, but then I'll have to be off to try and control my brother's raging." He drifted down towards us, and I had a brief flashback to the small lightning filled cloud from my dreams… However, that was soon blocked from my mind when a strange sensation filled me. Zephos seemed to be shrinking, but, looking down at the waves, I quickly realised that we were in fact moving away from him. "Good luck!" he called, waving one of his great hands at us, as we accelerated over the waves, towards the Mother and Child Isles.

Ten minutes later, we were safely to our destination, carried on the air currents of the kindly Zephos. As I had done the night before, I sought out a tree near the water's edge, and tied Red up with my length of rope. As it was still quite light, I sat down on the sand in front of him, and wrung out my stuff; when it came to my cowl, I turned around and did it; old habits die hard. Generally, it's only friends and family members who see each other's faces, and I wasn't really sure I knew Red quite well enough to show my face yet.

Water removed from my clothing, I found myself quite comfortable on the sand, and leant back slightly to survey the island around me. We were on the smaller of the two islands, which wasn't really that much to look at. There were a few trees scattered about, and some low-lying scrubs, but little else. The larger island, the 'Mother' one had sheer cliffs for sides, which would make it nigh on impossible to actually get onto the island. It was ringed with dense trees, and I couldn't see any further than that.

"Now that we can hear one another again," Red started, quietly, so as not to startle me, "I think I should continue explaining to you why I need your help." I turned to look at him, and nodded silently for him to continue. "Before I do, I just want to apologise for my rudeness yesterday…it was wrong of me to relate my personal feelings about beliefs to you in such a manner."

"It was equally wrong of me to rebuke them, so I think we're even on that account," I assured him, and he chuckled.

"All right then, we're even."

"What was Zephos talking about when he referred to the 'new Hero'?" I asked, before I could stop myself. It had been nagging at my mind for the whole of the journey to the Mother and Child Isles.

"That is exactly what I need your help with. I'm afraid there's going to be yet another long winded explanation, so, please, bear with me." I shuffled a little in the sand, and stretched my legs out in front of me, getting into a more comfortable position. "Are you quite done?" he asked with an amused tone.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you. Do carry on."

"Thank you, I will. Now, the new Hero Zephos was speaking about, is a young boy, who set out from Outset Isle almost a week ago now. He's travelling with a group of pirates to the Forsaken Fortress, in order to rescue his sister, who was taken by the helmaroc king."

"So the Rito spoke the truth," I interjected softly. "Oh, sorry. A Rito came upon Opacus Isle seriously wounded, and told us that the helmaroc king was flying abroad once more."

"Well, he was correct. Ganon has been sending out that foul bird to find girls with long ears, and bring them back to his hideout at the Forsaken Fortress. I believe he's looking for the Princess's piece of the golden power, which will have been passed down through her bloodline. And, the bird first captured the leader of these pirates, and dropped her on Outset Isle. The boy saved her from monsters in the forest, but then, his little sister was tragically kidnapped by the helmaroc king. So he has gone after her. I plan that we wait for him at Windfall, because that's where the pirates will drop his sister and him off after the rescue."

"So, what's so important about this boy? Oh, and do you know his name?"

"His name's Rufus. And, all I know is, is that he's the first boy to have come of age on Outset, who has shown any true promise of courage. And, the old legends only speak of one with courage like that of the Hero of Time…they don't say that it must be a descendant of him. Since, he never had children."

"Never?" I echoed, sounding shocked. Not having any children at all ever…the idea seemed completely foreign to me. Everyone on Opacus Isle had children at some point during their adult life. It was just…part of life! How could someone not have any children?

"Never. Which is why this boy is so important, because he may very well be the key to destroying Ganon once and for all."

"Then…where do I come into this?"

"I want you to do just what your ancestors did for the last Hero. Watch over him – protect him. If need be, show yourself to him, but only briefly. Instruct him only when he truly needs instruction. He must prove himself to the Gods alone, before he can lay his hand on the sword of evil's bane. I believe he can do this quite easily, but I would rather there be a wise Sheikah to look after him when I cannot."

"I don't know about wise…" I murmured, though I knew he could still hear me. "But all the other things I believe I can do easily enough. The only problem is…" I trailed off, and looked at the sand beneath my wandering fingers, which had been swirling absent patterns in the stuff. "I'm guessing that you will need to travel much over the sea…and how can I hide myself from him if I am to share you as a vessel?"

"Ah. That's a point I'm glad you raised, because I'd nearly forgotten… At Windfall, I made sure that there would be a small racing boat (much the same as me) reserved for you in the harbour. I sent a letter to a sailor I know, and he assured me that it would be ready for tomorrow, when you'll need it."

"How will I be able to afford it though? I didn't think to bring any money with me," I realised, mind flickering to the fifty or so rupees I'd left in my cloak pocket back in the bunkhouse.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll give you the money required when we get there."

"Oh…" I nodded my understanding. "I suppose we'll also need to get you a new sail, won't we?" I looked at the shredded mess that still hung limply from the mast. "I'm so sorry about that."

"Don't worry. I'd rather have a ripped sail, than have lost your help on this quest." He looked up at the sky, which was still beautifully clear. "We could, perhaps, carry on tonight, if we can find a way to patch up this sail. Or find something else that we could use."

"Well, I'm not sure if I've anything that could make a whole new sail…but maybe I could use these to close those holes up with," I lifted up my rolls of bandages. "But maybe we should stay here. After all, Cyclos might still be raging, and he might come back for another round with us," I injected a small laugh, even though the prospect of another storm like that chilled me to the core.

"Good point. All right, I suppose we'd best just stay here for the night. However, you could make a start on patching up the sail now, ready for an early start tomorrow."

"Good idea." I picked myself up from the beach, and went to remove the sail from the mast. "Do you have any more that you need to tell me?"

"Nothing of relevance to now."

"OK." I dragged the sail back to my seat, and draped it across my knees as I sat down with my legs crossed. "Do you know anymore legends at all that you could tell me whilst I work? You tell them so well…" He seemed surprised at my inquiry, and stared at me as though I was perhaps the oddest creature he had ever seen. "What is it?"

"I'm…just surprised Sheikah. Just surprised…" he answered, still staring at me oddly. Then, he shut his eyes, and hummed a strange tune for a few seconds. "I know many legends; what sort of legend would you like to hear?"

"Maybe you could tell me about the first Hero? I know that you said you didn't like the tale, but you probably tell it excellently."

"Oh, it's not that I don't like the tale…I only didn't want to relate it to you earlier because I was in such a hurry. However…after Zephos's little help, we do have some hours to spare." He smiled, and looked back in the direction we had come from. "Good old Zephos." Then, he looked back at me; I was already carefully applying my bandages over the rips in the sail fabric, and was figuring out the best way to attach them. "The story of the first Hero. The Hero of Time. Well, it all started a very long time ago indeed, when a young mother, her babe in her arms, fled from Hyrule field into the forbidden forest of the south. The land was torn by bitter civil war…"

* * *

_The helmaroc king hovered in front of a large wooden balcony, carrying something bright green in its claws. By squinting, I managed to penetrate the hazy mist, and saw that it was in fact a person. A boy with blond hair and a sword and shield strapped onto his back. "Throw him." It was that voice…the man who had laughed in the last vision. The helmaroc king threw the boy up into the air, and caught him in its beak._

"_Argh! What are you-?" the boy started to say in a panic, but, with a flick of the black bird's head, he went flying off into the sky. He screamed, and I watched him go with a sick feeling in my stomach. I tried to go after him, to try and – and what exactly? Catch him?_

_I wasn't sure…_

_I just couldn't move, so even if I could have saved him somehow, I would have been unable to. The man on the balcony turned to look at me, and again, I was confronted by that glare of menace and danger. He laughed at me, and bowed mockingly, before pointing an arm at me – the helmaroc king pivoted in the air, and set its glowing eyed gaze upon me. "Fetch," he commanded, and the bird made to strike. _

I sat up, and hit my head violently on the underside of the log I'd fallen asleep under. "Drat!" I cursed, rubbing my throbbing forehead violently. The vision ran around in my mind, and it gave me an awful feeling. :Has that already happened? Or is it going to happen: Looking out from under my log roof, I saw that Red was snoozing gently, and that it was already mid-morning. :We were meant to have an early start: I groaned internally, and then realised that as well as the late start, I still had to finish mending the sail before we could set off.

"Red!" I bellowed as I stumbled across the beach. "Red, wake up, we're late."

"No, no milk today thank you…" he murmured, and feeling incredibly foolish, I rapped the dragon-prow on its proud forehead. "Wh-what is it?" he spluttered, his eyes flying open. "Is it danger, what, what?"

"We're late. And I still have to finish the sail. And I just had another vision." I told him, deciding that simple sentences were probably best, since he had only just woken up.

"A – a vision?" this seemed to clear his head of sleep at once. "What was it? Do you think it was important?" I relayed what I'd seen to him, and if he had any blood, I believe he would have blanched. "Oh Gods…hurry up and fix that sail, we need to get to Windfall as soon as possible, and find you that other boat. I'm not sure whether what you saw has already happened or not…if it has, then it would be best that you go home, and warn your people of the danger that's coming. Without the Hero, we haven't got a hope…"

I gulped, and took the sail, and frantically set about repairing the tears I had made in it. However, after managing to make a new tear in it from hurrying so much, I had to pull myself back, and set a medium between speed and quality of the work I was doing. At this rate, I only managed to complete it to a satisfactory standard (without the help of a needle and thread) by about noon.

"Ready!" I proclaimed, untying Red from the tree, and then putting the sail up in record time. "Let's go." I threw out the sail so that it caught the wind, which was, luckily for us, blowing west.

"I hope we're not too late," Red mused aloud, and I silently agreed with him.

* * *

"What's that?" I had spotted something green bobbing in the water, and I yanked on the sail rope so that we came to an almost immediate stop next to it.

"I'm not sure, so be careful. It might be dangerous." Whatever it was decided to move at that point, and the part of it that seemed to be the head stirred slightly. It was green too…then, I realised. The vision – the bird had thrown him. The green hat – to check to see if I was correct, I grabbed the green 'head', and pulled it. What came up from the water in my hands was a hat, and when I looked down, it was to see the face of the boy :Rufus:. His lips were tinged blue, but, by the rise and fall of his chest, however feeble, I knew he was alive.

"It's the boy," I told Red, who gasped. "Hang on – I'm just going to pull him in." I leant down, and managed to hook my arms underneath his sagging shoulders. Luckily, he didn't weigh that much more than me, and the water gave me a great deal of help in lifting him up. I dragged him over the side, and then dropped him onto the deck, wincing as his head thumped against the wood.

"Is he OK?" Red asked anxiously.

"I think so." The boy groaned and rolled over, and seemed to be about to try and sit up. "Hey, shush. Don't strain yourself, all right?" I said, bending down to look at him more closely. He didn't respond, and seemed to be losing his grip on consciousness again. "How far to Windfall?"

"Not more than a couple of hours at most," Red answered. "We'd better hurry."

"Aye." I threw the sail back up into the air, and re-secured the tope that held it there. The wind drove us forward once more, and I was able to take a few minutes to check over the boy. His pulse was strong, and though he might have a slight fever, he was other wise fine. :Which is a miracle, thinking of the height he was thrown from…: I took out my spare bodysuit (now dry again), and lay it over him to keep him a little bit warmer, and then sat in my place by the rudder, steering us to Windfall Island.

* * *

_Please excuse me for any mis-usage of boat terminology…I'm not a boat person. In fact, the last time I was on a boat of any kind, I was on one of those pedalo thingies shaped like a swan (babysitting ickness.) Sorry for the generally rushed feeling of this – I only realised on about page ten that I still had over half of the plot left to cram in. Blush And I've set the word limit on each chapter to about ten thousand – which works out to about sixteen pages in the font I'm using. So…yeah, my bad. Forgive me! (This ended up about ten and a half thousand :S)_

_Soda_


	5. Rufus: Many Meetings

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter, I managed to get some kind of interesting action (hurrah!) And now Shadow finally knows what her quest is, and just who the new 'Hero' will be. Rufus, however…the poor dear boy…is currently lying unconscious in the keel of a talking boat. It's certainly going to be an interesting day for him when he wakes up. :Pokes him: move, you lazy Hylian lump!_

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

* * *

_**Rufus: Many meetings **_

_Aryll – no. She was holding her hands out to me, straining against the bars of her cell, and I reached out, tried to get her… Missed her fingertips by mere centimetres. Tried again – missed. Useless, useless! I can't even reach her fingers; can't even save her. _

_I'm such a useless big brother. I can't even save my little sister…_

_I'm trying Aryll, I am. Just hold on a little longer, I'm stretching as much as I can. Just have to get your hand and we can go home, and this will all be over. _

_Stretch. Just a little bit more… _

"Rufus… Rufus… Wake up Rufus! Pull yourself together lad!" I started, and opened my eyes. :Where am I: was my first thought. Then, I frantically looked around for the person who'd woken me up. :It must be that man from…before I fainted.: I was still inside the boat that I'd been dragged into, and I wondered where exactly the two of them were. :There were two of them…I'm sure there were…: The boat was bright red, and I had to blink briskly to adjust my eyes to the sudden assault of bright colours.

"Well? Have you come to your senses yet? You are surprisingly dull-witted…though I suppose you have only just woken up." Suddenly, the prow of the boat had turned around to stare me in the face, and its mouth was even moving in time with the words! I scooted backwards in shock, and hit my head on the edge of the boat. I scanned the area for someone who could somehow be working the boat to make it do that – but I couldn't see anyone.

"Did I startle you?" the dragonhead asked with a slight chuckle. "I suppose that's only natural. As wide as the world is, I'm the only boat upon it that can speak the words of men. I am the King of the Red Lions, and don't look so worried lad, you have nothing to fear from me. I'm not your enemy." Carefully, I hoisted myself into a sitting position, but still kept my distance. "Rufus – I have been watching you since you went to the Forsaken Fortress to rescue your sister.

"I understand how the desire to save her could have given you the courage to fearlessly stand up to anything… However, such a bold attempt was foolhardy!" I was about to cut in and object, but he fixed me with a glare that told me it wouldn't be a good idea. "I suppose you saw him? The shadow that commands that monstrous bird?" I nodded. "His name is Ganon. He is the very same man who you have heard of in your legends; the one who attempted to cover the land in darkness and was ultimately sealed away. I don't know why the seal has broken. Now that he's returned, he will try to spread his evil over all of the world.

"So tell me, Rufus… Do you still wish to save your sister?"

"Of course I do!" I answered stoutly, nodding my head again.

"Will you do anything to save her?"

"Of course!"

"I see… Well, in that case, I shall act as your guide as we go forward in order to do this. I can advise you on what to do, and where to go. As Ganon cannot be defeated by human hands, let alone by the small strength you hold, you must be ready for great toil and hardship. Only after many trials will you be able to hold the power to defeat Ganon once and for all. Do you understand?"

"I…I think I do… Yes, I understand." I had to refrain from looking confused, because that would have betrayed the fact that this was a blatant lie. :Anything to make sure I can save Aryll more quickly:

"In that case, we shall depart – at least, as soon as you can get me something I need… Alas… It's a little embarrassing to have to admit this, but, even though I have the power of speech… I do not possess a sail. I have bought you to an island where you may be able to purchase one. This is Windfall island."

"Windfall?" I echoed, amazed. I'd always wanted to come to Windfall, and now, here I was!

"Indeed. And I believe that if you search hard enough, you will find a suitable thing to be used as a sail here. I don't want you to feel limited to only a sail though…you may also buy anything else that you will need, but do not tarry too long. There is no time for idle playing, so you must come back immediately as soon as all your errands are done."

"I will, I promise!" I hopped out of the boat, and was about to make my way off, when I realised what I was missing. "Uh…Sir…"

"Yes Rufus?"

"I don't actually have any money…" I looked down at the azure water that was washing over my brown boots – seemed like they were watertight after all!

"Oh! Right. Look by the rudder, and there should be some money there, in a brown wallet." I looked where he said, and soon found the wallet lying there. "I think there should be enough in there. Will you check how much there is for me?" I opened the wallet, and gasped when I saw two silver rupees glowing up at me. "Well? How much is there?"

"F-f-four hundred rupees," I whispered, closing the wallet before the shiny-ness made me swoon. The dragonhead nodded his understanding.

"Good, that sounds about right… Now, go on, and hurry!" I turned around, and had splashed forwards a couple of steps before another thought hit me.

"Where's the lady?"

"Hmm? What lady?" he seemed perplexed.

"The one who pulled me out of the water."

"I think the amount of seawater you swallowed may have muddled you…you're my only passenger."

"Oh…right… Well, I'll go look for a sail then. Bye!"

"Bye!"

:I could have sworn that there was a woman there! I don't know… Maybe he's right; maybe I did swallow too much seawater.: Wondering at the complete odd nature of the past week (give or take a few days), I climbed out of the natural cove area the boat was in, and onto the sun-drenched sands of Windfall Island's beach. I took in a deep breath of the sea air, and then detected something that made my stomach growl. :Food: I knew I shouldn't really sidetrack quite so early on, but, I reasoned, wouldn't it be easier to search if my stomach wasn't growling all the time?

With that sound reasoning in mind, and the smell of various foods pervading my nostrils, I forged ahead, up the shallow incline that seemed to lead towards the main town. Two young girls were playing in the long grass of this sand-duned area, and they stopped to stare at me with wide eyes. I smiled tightly, noticing that one of them was wearing the same colour of dress that Aryll always wore… They giggled, and ran off, holding hands as they whispered to each other, and glanced over at me every so often.

:Interesting…: They followed me (at a distance) as I trekked over the sand dunes, and then finally came onto what appeared to be the main road. "Hey! Watch where you're stepping kid!" someone yelled, and I had to jump backwards off of the road to let a laden horse and cart go thundering by. "Stupid kid!" the man driving it shook his fist at me, and I stuck my tongue out at him. More giggling told me that those girls were still following me. :That was rude:

I peered up and down the length of the road, to check that nothing was coming, and then crossed over onto a grassy verge at the other side. From here, I could see right down to the docks, and saw that there were dozens of merchant ships in the port, as well as a few smaller racing boats. As well as all the vessels, there were many, many people around the docks, heckling for fish and other goods that had just come in on the boats.

Now I could see what people meant when they said Windfall was a busy place! Wary of the fact that more carts would probably be coming along the road, I kept to the verge, and made my way up along side the road, to the gates of the town. It was on the very summit of the island, and even from this distance, I could hear the hum of many voices, and, now that I was closer, I could distinguish all the different types of food smells. There was fish, meat, bread, fruits and vegetables, as well as roasting chestnuts and I could even detect the smell of potions being made.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw that the two girls had tired of following me, and had returned to playing on the dunes. I was grateful for that; I didn't want that one in the blue dress around to remind me of Aryll…

I had the feeling that I was being watched again, and I turned around to tell those two girls to go away. However, as I did this, a young lady with a mask over her face brushed past me, murmuring a whispered, "Oh, sorry, do excuse me," as she did so. I blinked, and by the time I'd formulated an answer to her words, she was too far ahead of me for me to say them. I watched her as she hurried up to the town, and wondered just why she was in such a hurry.

Then, I sighed, because there was no way I was going to find that out, so what was the point of worrying about it? So, instead, I just picked up my own pace a little, spurred on by the rumbling of my stomach. I was now close enough to the gates that I could see through them into the town, and what I saw amazed me. It was a great kaleidoscope of colours, from every part of the rainbow and more, and there were stalls all over the place, just dotted randomly along the sides of the streets, and even some that were moved about on wheeled carts by street-sellers. The four hundred rupees in the wallet within my pocket begged to be spent.

:Mind you, I don't know how much a sail will cost. Maybe I should get that first, or I might spend too much on other stuff to afford it.: With the chances of getting food in the foreseeable future quashed, my stomach gave an incredibly loud grumble. "Shut up," I told it in aggravation, and, to my surprise, it did.

I was walking past a cluster of trees just outside the gate, when someone caught my arm. "Huh?" I looked around, and had half-reached to get my sword when I realised that it was only a middle-aged man who'd latched onto me. "Yes? Can I help you?" I asked stiffly, forcing myself to drop my arm – after all, it wasn't like there'd be any monsters here!

"You, you look like a brave lad. My daughter, Maggie – she was taken away by a great bird. No one will believe me, no one will listen, but you boy, you stopped!" he gabbled frantically, his grip on my arm becoming tighter. However, when he mentioned 'a great bird', I immediately began to pay attention.

"I'm listening…go on."

"Well, we were out walking, and then this great black bird just swooped down, and, and…" he let go of my arm, and wiped his hand across his eyes. He then sniffed loudly and carried on, "I'd give what little I have just to get my Maggie back. Could you – would you – if you manage to find that bird, get my Maggie back for me? I know it's a long shot, but I see you have weapons, and you look like a brave, strong lad."

"I – well, of course, if I get the chance, I shall try!" I assured him.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed, clasping his hands in front of him and bowing in gratitude.

"If I find your daughter, I'll bring her back to you," I said, and then I turned away to the town. When I looked over my shoulder, the man had moved over to slump heavily against the trunk of one of the trees. He looked so sad that I thought I should go back and talk to him some more, but then he started to walk off, and I decided I probably shouldn't waste any more time than I already had done.

* * *

Half an hour later, I was frustrated beyond belief, and, on top of that, my stomach had started to protest again. :You'd think that a town like this one might have at least one stall that sells sails: I thought exasperatedly. I walked past a stall that was selling all different types of fabrics, and looked at the merchandise hopefully; however, it was mostly things like velvet and taffeta, which wouldn't be any use for a sail.

Full of exasperation, I decided that I'd ask someone. Stopping someone was going to be a task in itself however; everyone was bustling around, bartering and going about their shopping with such rigour, that I wondered if anyone would even notice me if I tried to talk to them. Casting my eyes around, I managed to spot a large stall, which was completely devoid of any customers. A man dressed in blue, and with fur all around his collar, stood behind the counter, smiling and waving to people as they passed by. No one waved back, but that didn't seem to dampen his spirit at all.

:Well, he at least seems friendly: I reasoned, and I pushed through the shopping crowds in order to get to the stall. When he saw me approach, his smile got even wider – something I hadn't thought would be possible. "Good morning young man – and how can I help you this fine morning?"

"I was just wondering if you happened to know where I could buy a sail?" I asked, now feeling a bit guilty. However, he only beamed still more, and reached beneath the counter.

"The people of this town don't seem to understand the usefulness of these things. I mean, it'd help them to travel around the seas, and to explore – but I see that you, young man, can see the value of such a thing." He came back up from where he had crouched behind the counter, and was holding a white and green piece of cloth in his hands. "Here we are – this is all that's left of my own ship after a storm on the way to this place."

"Great! How much do you want for it?"

"Oh…yes, a price. Well, my position here is very difficult. My shop is not doing very well, for I haven't got the finances in order to start up the business. It's only a small sum I'm asking for, in the long run – how does eighty rupees sound?" I was surprised – I'd thought he was going to ask for an awful lot more than that!

"That sounds fine – sure, I'll buy it." I fished out the wallet, and handed over one of the silver rupees to him. He took it, and then gave me two purple rupees, and two yellow ones back. Then, he handed me the sail also, which I had to juggle with slightly, before I settled it in a comfortable position over my shoulder. "Thanks!"

"Wait young man," he called. "I just want to thank you for your funds to help me set up my business. I will not forget this! Perhaps in the future, I will able to repay you. Thank you, thank you kindly!"

"Your welcome," I smiled back at him, and then wandered back out into the shopping crowds. Now that I had a sail, I felt that I could relax a little bit. And, I could get some food. My stomach agreed with me that this would be a very good idea, and I stopped at the first food vendor I came across, and bought a still warm half-loaf of bread and cheese to go with it for only ten rupees.

I munched my food as I walked along, and looked around at all the many stalls. :What else might I need: I thought, pondering just what adventures I might be about to have. :I do have two hundred and ten rupees left, so I guess I could get some supplies or something…: I remembered that I'd past a potions shop on my way in, next to which had been a stall which sold re-useable glass bottles…quite cleverly placed together, when you thought about it!

I made my way back towards the gate that I'd entered by, and hurried down the steps to the lower square where the shop and stall were. As I went, I was jostled by the crowd, and consequently, I bumped into someone. "Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry!" I gabbled, bending down to help them pick up their things. When I looked up to hand the food and cloth back to the person, I was surprised to find myself looking at the same young woman who'd brushed past me earlier.

"No harm done, and thank you for helping me with these," she said softly, looking at me with bright red eyes. Then, we both stood up, and yet again, before I could think of something else to say, she had breezed off into the crowd, and I lost sight of her. Which was strange, because someone with clothes that distinctive shouldn't be so easy to lose… Feeling inquisitive (and completely forgetting what I was meant to be doing before I bumped into her), I went back up the steps, and tried to find her again. Looking around, I managed to catch a glimpse of indigo, and then I caught sight of that white-blonde hair.

She'd just come out of the crowd at the other end of this main square area, and was ascending steps into a third level of the busy market-town. As quickly as I possibly could (taking into account how many people there were, and the fact that I'm still a good head shorter than most adults), I made my way to where she'd been standing. Of course, by the time I got there, she'd disappeared again, and I wasn't able to catch sight of her once more. :Damn: I cursed, deciding that a stronger swear-word was needed to grace the occasion.

:How could I manage to lose someone so easily: Slightly putout that I'd lost my quarry, I turned my attention to the shops up on this level instead. There weren't as many up here, and the further I walked, the more I left the crowds behind.

Soon, I realised that I'd left the market altogether, and I was now walking in the residential area of the town. Flowers were trailing from hanging baskets, and well-kept window boxes were bursting with colour. It reminded me of home; even the smell of the air was almost the same, and I closed my eyes and breathed in wistfully. I took a couple more great puffs of air in, letting each of them out slowly and silently through my mouth.

Someone jabbed me in the ribs, and I opened my eyes with a start. "What the-?" I looked around, and didn't see anyone. The jab came again, harder this time, and I looked down. A bunch of boys, around eight or nine years old, were circling me, and another one of them tried to poke me in the back. Angrily, I hurried off forwards, but they followed me. "What do you want?" I yelled, wheeling around to face them.

"You're new here, aren't you kid?" a cocky boy with a flat-cap on his head asked me.

:Oh Gods, yet another one who's going to call me 'kid': I thought exasperatedly. "Yeah, I am. If that's all, I'll be going."

"Who said that was all?" another of them piped up – this boy had a squashed nose that made him look unfortunately similar to a pig. He put his small fists up, and I had to stifle a laugh.

"Yeah, who said, huh, who said?" the shortest of the group joined in as well, leaving only a blue-black haired kid standing a little way off, watching with a disconcertingly adult smirk.

"No one. However, in case you hadn't noticed, I have this thing called a sword," as I said 'sword', I pulled the said weapon out. The three who were circling me stopped, and all took a step back. They gasped, and I noticed the fourth one's eyes widen in my peripheral vision. "So, it's probably not wise to pick a fight with me."

"Wow, cool!" the one with the hat said, his face breaking into a smile. "Hey, buddy, we didn't mean no harm – did we boys?" he turned to the other three, who muttered that 'no, we didn't mean any harm'. As if trying to save face, he carried on, "We just wanted to check to see that you weren't planning to do anything nasty to no one with that there weapon. Because, if you was, we'd have to tell, and then it'd be confiscated y'see."

"I see…" I cautiously slipped my sword back into the scabbard.

"But, since you don't seem like hurting nobody, why don't you allow us to introduce ourselves. I'm Jim," he pointed a thumb at his chest. "This here's Mako," he pointed to the one with the pig-nose. "This is-"

"Hey, look out, here comes Mrs. Marie," hissed the one with the blueish hair. "Better scram!" All four of them ran off, and I saw a woman with shocking pink hair walking down the road. She smiled mildly at me, and then carried on walking. Intrigued, I followed her path with my eyes, and saw her turn into a door, above which was a large sign daubed with pink letters. Straining to see from this far away, I read what it said.

'Mrs. Marie's school of Joy – where learning and fun become the same thing.'

:School! I bet those boys are all skipping school: I thought, and then wondered what exactly was so bad about school. It was just a building as far as I could see… Nothing special about it at all, so why would those boys want to get out of it? "Is she gone?" a voice hissed.

"Yeah, I think so."

"What do you mean 'you think so?' She either is or she isn't!"

"Well, why don't you go out and check?"

"Why don't you?"

"Hey, don't push!" Suddenly, all four of them exploded back onto the scene from behind a large pile of crates and lobster pots that had been leaning against the wall of a narrow alleyway off to the left of the street. They tumbled to the ground in a rabble, and I stepped back to avoid being knocked over myself. :Kids that age are just…: I wasn't able to find a word that quite seemed to fit the end of that phrase, so I just coughed loudly instead.

"STOP!" Jim screeched, and immediately, they came to a dead standstill. "Heya fella. Sorry you had to see that, but, you see, we just don't want to go to school. So, we can't let Mrs. Marie see us." The shortest one mumbled something, "What you say?"

"I said; can you get off me please? My legs are going numb!"

"Oh, right." Haphazardly, all four of them managed to stand up, and dusted themselves off a little, before returning their attention to me. "So, what's your name then?"

"Rufus."

"Rufus? Weird name…" the one with the blue-black hair murmured, and I realised that the introduction had never been finished. Before I could say anything though, all four of them dived back behind the pile of crates and lobster pots.

"Excuse me lad, but shouldn't you be in school?" a tall man clapped his hand on my shoulder, and wheeled me around. "Oh!" he started, and his hand flew away from my shoulder. "I am sorry, I thought you were one of the local children." He looked me up and down, and I silently dared him to say anything about my outfit – he didn't. "You haven't seen a group of four boys around yay high wandering about, have you?"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Jim mouthing 'No!' at me. "No sir. Why?"

"Oh, they're just skipping school I'm afraid. And, it's quite upset their teacher Mrs. Marie." He ran a hand over his balding head, and blushed faintly. "It's not right to worry someone so pretty, so I thought I should come and try to find the scoundrels… Oh well, if you see them, can you tell them to get back to class for me?"

"Of course sir," I nodded, smiling, and ushering him away as quickly as I dared.

"Thank you lad – good day."

"Good day."

As soon as the man had turned the corner, the four boys were back out again. "No one orders the Killer Bees back to school," Jim growled, smacking a fist into his open palm.

"The Killer Bees?" I echoed, raising my eyebrow.

"Yeah, the Killer Bees. That's us. And anybody who messes with us gets into real trouble!"

"Sure… Well, I really need to get going." :Mad, stark raving bonkers, the whole lot of them:

"Oh, OK. Well, thanks for covering for us. You ever need any favours, come see us!"

"Yeah, I will!" I called over my shoulder, as I hurried off back the way I'd come. :When I'm in need of four, probably insane, definitely inane, nine year olds, I'll come tearing back up here to get you…:

* * *

Now that I was back in the main market-place of the town, I remembered what I'd been doing before all the stupid business with following that girl around had started. So, resolve hardened after my first failed attempt, I made my way down the steps that led onto the level just inside the gate, and meandered through the crowd to get to the stall that was selling bottles. Now that I was closer, I realised that the bottles weren't actually empty, but were filled with loads of different things, from bugs to water to sand, of all things.

"Come and get your decorative bottles, all the rage with the rich young things! Filled with anything you can imagine, and all at special low, low prices!" the man behind the stall bellowed, startling the band of shoppers already at his stall, and attracting a large amount more. Using my smaller size, I was able to barge my way through, ducking under outstretched arms and weaving in between large ladies clutching shopping baskets, in order to get to the front.

The tide of people around the stall made it nearly impossible to stay in one place for long, because, as soon as one person had bought something, the whole line of people at the front shunted along, letting another person in at the end. I managed to get to the end of the line, and was then able to survey exactly what was on the table. The thing that caught my eye was a bottle in which a fairy had been caught – it would periodically bang its little fists against the glass, and I felt the need to go on a mission of mercy…

Until I saw the price that was…

He was asking for five hundred rupees! No wonder no one had bought it yet. As I looked on, the fairy open her mouth and screamed – however, the glass of the bottle stopped all the sound, so it was a fruitless crusade the fairy was fighting. Feeling sorry for her, I had to turn away anyway, and try to find something more within my price range… My eyes feel on empty bottles – of which there were very few left. Forty rupees each – not great, but not too bad a price either. I decided to get two, because who knew when I'd get another chance to get some?

"Yes young sir?"

"Two empty bottles please," I pointed to the ones I wanted.

"I saw you eyeing the fairy sir – can I interest you at all?"

:Not at that price you can't: "No, I was just browsing."

"Very well – here you are – eighty altogether." I handed over my money, and he gave me my change. "Thank you – have a nice day."

"Thank you!" I clutched my new purchases, and sidled my way out of the crowd. It was tough, because so many more people were flocking over to the table now. Perhaps because it was the afternoon, and all the stalls would be closing soon, or something. I wasn't sure. However, I knew that I still had to get myself some food for the trip, and some potions. A hundred and thirty rupees were left in the wallet the King of Red Lions had give me, and I wondered with a sudden sense of dread whether he had meant me to spend quite so much of it.

:Oh well…it's too late now I suppose…: I told myself, and I headed into the potions shop, which was mercifully quiet in comparison to the outside. Only three or four people browsed the counters, and the man behind the counter was chatting idly with a customer, whilst weighing out ingredients on a set of silver scales. When the door shut behind me, it made a tinkling sound, and everyone in the shop looked up to see who'd just come in.

The man behind the counter threw a beaming grin at me, and beckoned me forwards. "What can I do for you today?"

"Urm…well, I'm going on this journey, and I'm going to need some potions for along the way."

"What sort of potions are you after?" he asked, and launched into his sales pitch before I could decide. "We have everything here, ranging from love potions to potions to make your hair grow. Potions to replenish health or magic, ones that can make you see in the dark – I'm even starting work on one that could make you fly…though I can't get a few of the ingredients I need for a while yet. But, we have the best potions in town, I assure you!"

The customer at the desk sniggered, and she looked down at me, "Yeah, that's only because it's the only potions shop in town dummy!" I started when a flare from whatever the man behind the counter was doing threw the woman's face into relief. She had forest-green hair, which was cut to her shoulders and haloed her face in a mess that somewhat resembled a crow's nest. Her deeply tanned face was framed by bangs of bright white, which she absent-mindedly tucked behind her ears (which were pointed).

But, that wasn't what I found strange about her – what was strange was the fact that her right eye was covered with an eye patch! The eye patch even had a design on it that made it look like an eye as well. When I swiftly looked her over, I saw that she was kitted out with pirate's gear, complete with a cutlass at her waist.

"You know what Marie, you're really not that great for business – look at the poor lad, you're scaring him!"

"Hey, can I help it if I strike fear into the hearts of people who are still sane, oh wondrous Doctor Bandum?" she jibed, and the people around the shop snickered. "Sorry if I did startle you lad – I have that effect on people. If you're wondering what the ol' patch is for, that's from when I got into a tussle with a kargorok years back."

"Yeah, and you're lucky I was on the boat with you, or else you could have died from that wound!" Doctor Bandum said sulkily, leaning on the counter and leaving his experiment alone.

"I know, I know. Gods only know how many times you've told me that my dear!" she reached up and tweaked his cheek. "Anyway, I need to be off – there's a girl that needs to see me about Flo."

"Flo? Is that what you called the new boat?"

"Aye – what's wrong with it?" she sighed exasperatedly, and tapped her foot.

"Oh, nothing," the man behind the counter answered, with a roguish glint in his eye.

"If you want another fight Doc, I'm more than ready," she let her hand hover over the end of her cutlass, and I backed up a couple of steps.

"Nah, you know how much I adore you, why would I want to kill you?" he mewed, taking the hand that was still on the counter. She laughed, as did the people already in the shop, and I managed a smile. "But, all right – off you go I suppose. With half my heart of course!"

"And I leave half of mine here," she sobbed melodramatically, and then hurried off to the door, winking at me as she did so.

"Every single time she comes in here," one of the other customers sighed, shaking his head and obviously forcing himself not to laugh. "Why don't you two just get married?"

"Oh, John, you know I couldn't. I'm married to my research, and she to the sea. It could never work!" He looked wistfully at the door, and then returned his attention to me. "Ah – sorry you had to witness that – we didn't waste too much of your time I hope?"

"Oh, no, not at all," I assured him, and he grinned.

"Thank the Gods for that. Now, without further interruption," he looked around at the shop, "that means you lot need to be quiet!" they all made sounds of understanding, "How may I help you, potions wise?"

"Well, I was really looking for red and green potion…"

"For health and magic you mean?" I nodded. "Well, since I had to keep you waiting for so long, I think you deserve some compensation… Hrm… Well, for the same price as those two potions would cost (ten rupees a pop), I'll give you two servings of blue potion – restores health and magic all at once."

"Really? I've never heard of it before…" I said dubiously.

"Don't worry lad, the Doc brewed it himself – and, since I, the test-subject, haven't dropped down dead yet, I'd say it was safe," the same man who'd suggested marriage told me, dropping a bag of shredded petals onto the counter, along with five green rupees. "Thanks Doc – see you soon."

"Bye!" the Doc nodded to the man who'd just left, and then smiled at me. "How does that sound then?"

"Sounds great!" I said, taking out my two new bottles and handing them to him. He examined them, and tutted. "What? What's wrong?"

"Did you get these from the stall outside?" I nodded, and then watched in horror as he threw them onto the floor. "Here's some advice – never, ever trust wandering sales-men. That guy's a crook if ever I met one, and I can't even move him on from in front of my shop, because he has the mayor's permission to be there. Look, here, I've got some proper bottles down here, already filled." He plonked two glass bottles, which were obviously of much better quality, and full of blue potion, onto the counter. "Here you are – and don't worry about the bottles, since I did smash yours."

"I – thanks!" I stuttered, taking twenty rupees and paying him. Then, on the spur of the moment, I dropped another five into his outstretched hand.

"Hey, I think you'll want this back," he tried to hand it back to me.

"No, keep it – it's a thank you of sorts. And," I grinned slightly as I said it, "maybe you could buy that lady something nice to get in her good books…?" The whole shop broke into guffaws, and I chuckled as well. The Doctor leant over the counter and gave me a good-hearted pat on the shoulder.

"Looks like we've got another member of the potions club!" he beamed. "You ever want somewhere to hang out and just talk, just come right back here. Once we figure out we like a person here, we like them for life – even the ones like Marie." There was a wolf-whistle, to which he good-heartedly protested, "Ah, shut up you!" I picked up the bottles from the counter, and carefully deposited them in my pack. "Anything else you need?"

"No thanks – and I'd best be off."

"Come back whenever you like lad – oh, hang on, what's your name?" I turned around to see he'd clapped a hand to his forehead. "My, I am getting forgetful…"

"It's Rufus."

"Rufus…OK, I'll try and remember that. Well, anyway, drop in anytime."

"Thanks, I will!" I yanked open the door of the shop, and stepped back outside into the waning daylight. A smile was still on my face, and I looked back at the slowly closing door fondly. :I'm definitely going back there again: My eyes fell onto the stall, which was now closed up for the day, though all of the merchandise still stood on the stand. The man was lugging boxes into a small side-storage area, and there weren't that many people on the street…

Quick as a flash, I darted over, and looked around for the fairy in a bottle I'd seen earlier. She was still there, though now she'd fallen asleep, and was curled up at the bottom of the container. Silently, and making sure that no one saw, I scooped the bottle up, and stuffed it down the front of my top. :OK, technically, this is stealing. But, I'm only doing it so I can let this fairy go, so it balances it out…: If only Grandma could have seen me then, she would have been mortified.

:Mission of mercy. Mission of mercy: I repeated over and over in my head in order to get rid of the guilt coursing through me. :No one noticed anyway…: I rounded a bend in the street, and came across a small green area, in which there was a bench that was half hidden by the winnowing fronds of a willow tree. I immediately went over to this, trying not to jostle the fairy, who was probably now scared out of her wits after what had just happened in the past sixty seconds.

I sat down on the bench, putting my pack down gently on the floor next to me, and then pulled the bottled fairy out from the front of my top. She looked out at me with startled eyes, and I took a moment to study her more closely than I'd been able to the first time around. She was wearing a long white dress that swirled around her small feet, and had hair of the same brilliant white cascading around her shoulders. Her eyes were pale grey, and filled with tears a couple of seconds after I took her out.

:I can understand why people would want to keep her in a bottle…: I thought, in awe of the simple beauty of the thing. However, if I didn't let her go, then I would have stolen it, and that would be wrong! So, I dug my finger nails into the groove between bottle and the stopper, and pulled upwards – the stopper came flying off, and the fairy, dazed, was sitting at the bottom of the bottle, her arms above her head for protection. "Hey, its OK, I won't hurt you. I'm just letting you out," I coaxed softly, looking down at her.

She peered up at me through the gap between her arms, and flinched when I smiled, before daring to actually drop her arms altogether. "Why?" she asked, voice tinkling in a bell-like way.

"Because I didn't think it was fair for you to be in a bottle. I know I wouldn't much like it," I said, laughing and trying to make her feel more comfortable. "I'm Rufus," I introduced myself, and gave my best 'I'm the nicest person you could ever meet' smile. She nodded her understanding. "And you are…?"

"Oh – my name's Luna," she stammered, standing up in the bottle, and testing out her wings. "Would you mind if I just…went…? I need to get back home; I've been trapped in here for weeks."

"Weeks? How awful," I said, genuinely sorry for her. "Of course – go on, you go home!"

"Thank you." She flew up and hovered in front of my face. "If you're ever in a tight spot and you need help, don't hesitate to call on the fairies for assistance." She performed a small curtsey, and then disappeared in a cloud of sparkling dust. I watched it fall to the ground, and then dropped the bottle onto the sparkling grass. I didn't want it. The Doctor Bandum from the potions shop was right – the guy on the stall was a crook!

"Rufus? Rufus, have you managed to find a sail yet?" I looked around, startled to hear the King of Red Lion's voice, when I was right in the middle of the land. "Rufus, the gemstone – take it out lad!" I fumbled around and managed to get the green stone out – it was glowing, just how it had when Tetra had spoken to me through it. "Good. Now, have you managed to find a sail?"

"Yup," I nodded proudly, hoisting the said sail up on my shoulder so that it didn't slip off completely.

"And have you everything else that you'll need?"

"Urm…I think so, yes…I was just going to stop at this really nice café and have some dinner before we left, so-"

"I'm sorry Rufus, but I'll have to ask you not to. We really need to get going again I'm afraid…"

"Oh…OK then. I'll be right back."

"Hang on. I've just thought of something I'd like you to do on your way back."

"It's not dangerous is it?" I asked warily, not sure if I was really ready for any more danger quite yet.

"No, no," he chuckled. "Not dangerous. Rather…another mission of mercy, shall we say?" I gasped. "Don't worry, I saw how you set that fairy free. That was very brave of you, and, even though you didn't realise it, very clever. Having the fairies on your side is a great asset!" He paused, and collected his thoughts before continuing. "Now, there's a man named Tingle who I would like you to set free."

"Set free…what did he do wrong?" I demanded, not fancying the idea of letting out some sort of criminal.

"He hasn't done anything – he has however been accused of a crime he didn't commit. Now, listen, and I'll tell you the directions to where he's being held…"

* * *

I walked into the dingy building in which the King of Red Lions had told me Tingle was being kept prisoner. The smell of damp inside almost made me want to gag, and I couldn't see any further than about a foot in front of me. I stuck out my hand to make sure I didn't walk into anything, intending to run it along the side wall. "Eurgh!" I exclaimed, when my hand made contact with someone slimy.

"What? Wh-who's there? I'm warning you, don't come any closer!" a panicked voice came, and, as it was a man's voice, I guessed it must be 'Tingle.'

"Don't worry, the King of Red Lions sent me to get you out," I said, cursing my bad luck.

"The King of- Oh, joy, oh rapture! I'm to be let out of this dreadful place! The keys are on the wall by the door there. Do hurry, I want to be outside again!" I turned around and fumbled in the dark for the keys he'd said were there. It was only the work of a few seconds to find them, and I held them tightly as I advanced into the complete murk of the room.

Thud. "OW!" I had walked slap bang into something, and I could already feel a bruise beginning to form on my knee.

"Not so loud!" a voice hissed into my ear, and I realised that what I'd just walked into were the actual bars of his cell. "Look, hurry up, for all I know, you've gone and alerted the guard."

"There's a guard?" I whispered, dumbstruck. :And he said it **wouldn't** be dangerous – grr:

"Of course there's a guard! This is a prison you know!" Tingle sighed heavily. "Look, move along the bars to the right – the door's right at the end next to the wall. And hurry up!" I pulled myself along using the bars, until I came to a dead stop next to the wall. More scuffling about found me the keyhole of the cell, and then it was just a matter of which key fit. There were an awful lot of keys on the ring…

Click.

"Finally!" He waited for me to open the door, and then stumbled across the small hallway to the door to the outside. "Well, come on, are we going to go outside or what?"

"Hang on," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "The least you could do is to say thank you." I was very annoyed by his rudeness!

"Right, whatever, 'thank you', now can we go?" I growled something unintelligible under my breath, and kicked the door open before storming out in front of him. When I turned around to glare at him, he'd already gone. I caught a glimpse of a figure in green and red hurrying off up the hill to the right of the door (as you came out of it), and made a rude gesture to its back.

"Did you manage to get him out?" It was the King of Red Lions again.

"Yeah, I did, and he sure didn't seem very grateful," I said back bitterly. "He was very rude, actually."

"Yes, well… That does sound like Tingle. He doesn't much like people to be honest. Not unless they want him to decipher a sea-chart, then he's all over them… But that's only because of the extortionate prices he can charge, what with being the only chart decipherer within a hundred miles of Windfall."

"I see…" :It seems a lot of merchants are crooks. And I thought pirates were bad…:

"Come on, you may as well come back now. I still have to show you how to attach and use that sail after all!"

"Good point. I'll be right there." I ensured that the door was firmly shut behind me, and then set off down the hill, towards the sand dunes that I'd trekked over that morning. There was about an hour left until dusk, but the island was already quite quiet, and I enjoyed the peaceful walk down to the cove immensely.

* * *

"…now you need to tie that bottom cord onto the boom using a double hitch knot." The King of Red Lions had been giving me orders on what to do with the sail for the last ten minutes, and this was the last straw.

"I don't even know what a hitch knot is, let alone what a double one is! Look, I'm just going to tie it on, and if it comes off, I'll hold it in place!" I yelled, scowling at the back of the prow. He fell silent, and I made shoddy work of the knots. The silence became thicker with each passing moment that he didn't talk, and I began to feel really awkward. Not able to stand it any longer, I apologised, "Look, I'm sorry for yelling… It's just that I don't really know all that much about boats, so yelling jargon at me won't help."

"Yes…I'm sorry my boy. I'm just so used to the people who do know about boats that I sometimes take their knowledge for granted. But, don't worry – you're going to end up picking up a lot of jargon yourself during the time your travelling with me."

"That'd be great. I could confuse everyone back home so much!"

"Indeed!" he laughed. "How's the sail coming along?"

"Well, it's up and attached. I think all we're lacking is some wind, which we'll get when we push off."

"I suppose we may as well just be off then. Now, are you sure that you've got everything you think you'll need with you? Because, I don't want to leave without anything important."

"Yeah, I've got everything," I said after a brief pause for thought. "Where are we going to go then?"

"Take that map," a map suddenly appeared on top of the rudder. "See the island marked with an 'x'?"

"Yep." A tiny speck was marked with a shaky red 'x' on the map.

"Well, press it." Feeling decidedly odd doing so, I pressed down on the 'x', and the drawing of the island suddenly grew to fill the whole page. "That's Dragon Roost island – the Rito live there; I believe you've already met one of them?"

"Yeah – a guy called Quill."

"Yes. I know him very well; he's a good man."

"So, why do we need to go to this Dragon Roost place anyway?"

"In order to collect something that will help with your quest to save your sister. There's a dragon that sits atop the highest mountain of the island (which was how it got it's name). His name is Valoo, and he's very great and very wise. When we get there, you will need to ask the chieftan of the Rito tribe for an audience of Valoo, where you will ask him for an ancient artifact called 'Din's Pearl'."

"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to remember all that," I said with worry.

"Oh, don't you worry about that, I'll tell you again when we get there. Now, you should push us out so that we can get going. The wind's blowing from the west, so we should go whilst it is in our favour to carry us east."

"All right then, off we go!" I took out my sword and used it to push us away from the rock of the back of the cove. Then, slowly, we drifted forwards, and I used the rudder to take us out of the easternmost opening of the cove. As soon as the wind hit us, it filled the new sail, and sent us flying forwards – I was lucky that I managed to miss a small jetty that was sticking out into the water on this side of the island, and I clung on for dear life as we came up against a couple of large waves.

Soon, however, I got used to the speed of the boat, and settled back for the journey – I still had the sunset to look forward to, and that always looked spectacular from land, so it would probably look doubly so if I was out to sea! "How long will it take us to get there?" I called over the loud wind.

"Not more than about twelve hours – we should be there by morning," he called back, and then turned his attention to the direction we were going in.

I looked around at the sea that surrounded us – on the pirate ship, I'd never really been able to experience just what it was like to sail properly. But, on the King of Red Lions, I realised just why so many people liked sailing so much – the water this close up looked wonderful, and it was so exhilarating to be going so fast, and without anyone there to tell you to slow down.

I glimpsed another small boat like my own hurrying along with the wind about two miles behind and to the left of me. It was so far away that I couldn't make out how many people were in it, and, I was going too fast for it to be able to catch up anyway, so I doubted I'd ever find out how many people were aboard. So, I faced back up front, and watched as the sky began to deepen from light blue to dark blue.

* * *

_:Blinks.: I don't know how I managed it…but I've just made buying a sail and getting a few supplies last for about eight thousand words. Eight thousand words where sod all happens… I suppose that's pretty impressive in a weird way._

_Soda _


	6. Shadow: Hustle and Bustle

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_So, last chapter, I managed to write an awful lot, even though not much happened. Which I think was quite a feat, don't you? Rufus bought a sail, some shoddy merchandise, some potions, and bumped into a mysterious lady with her face covered a few times. Oh, and he met another female pirate (Marie! I loves Marie!) Be quiet Doctor Bandum, and go back to your potions! Sigh This place is in anarchy. I definitely need a study of my own damnit!_

_Anyway, enough of my rambling – to the story!_

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics. _

* * *

**_Shadow: Hustle and bustle_**

"Just pull into this cove here," Red directed, and I gently nudged the rudder to bring us slowly into the natural cove he directed me to. The boy (Rufus) was still out cold, but, judging by his soft moans and the way he'd been tossing and turning for the past half an hour, he was near consciousness once more. "Is he all right?"

"Yes, he's fine. I think he'll probably wake up soon as well."

"Good. Now, you remember where you need to go, and who you must ask for?"

"Yep. The docks, at four o'clock, to meet a pirate woman who goes by the name of Marie."

"And you will know her…"

"By her eye patch, which actually has an eye stitched onto it," I recited. He'd been repeating this over and over to me for most of the trip to Windfall, and I was beginning to get tired of hearing it. He carried on, obviously not picking up on the agitated tone of my voice, or choosing to ignore it.

"I've placed a wallet with four hundred rupees in it into your pack. Take the old sail with you – I can send the boy out to get a new one. Get yourself some supplies together, and then you may explore to your heart's content, until I tell you that we need to be setting off to Dragon Roost Isle. Have you got all that?"

"Yes," I answered exasperatedly, tying Red onto a metal ring that was drilled into the cliff-face. "Are you sure it's safe to just leave the boy? Shouldn't I perhaps wait until he wakes up?"

"No – it's best that he doesn't see you before he really must. I'd rather you went now, and you may meet later. Now, make sure that you take all your affects, because you won't be able to come back and get them for a long time if you leave any behind."

"I've got them all," I assured him, carefully removing my spare bodysuit from on top of the unconscious Rufus. He instinctively flinched as the cold air of the enclosed space reached him. Then, he rolled over, and I noticed fondly that he, like Firen, sucked his thumb as he slept… "You'll alert me when the boy sets off of course, won't you?"

"Of course – perhaps you could keep an eye on him, just to make sure that he doesn't get into trouble?"

"If you want me to, then I will," I said, stuffing my bodysuit into my pack, and sitting down on the side of the boat.

"It would be most appreciated if you could – just try not to be seen by him. And don't allow him to know that he's being followed. Act like an every day shopper."

"OK – I'm sure I can do that." I folded the old sail in my lap, and smoothed it down with my hands, waiting to be dismissed.

"Very good. Now, that old sail," I looked down at the half-ruined cloth. "If you take it to a merchant whose stall has a red drape over the top of it, he'll purchase it from you for a reasonable price. With that extra money, you may purchase whatever you like."

"Oh – thank you very much!"

"I haven't done anything my dear, so I don't see why you're thanking me," he protested bashfully. Rufus stirred greatly at the bottom of the boat, and I hopped out quick as a flash, and hid behind a stone outcropping in the water. "You'd better hurry, he'll be awake soon."

"Bye for now."

"Bye." I crept through the water, making as little sound as I could, and then slithered up the beach and onto the sand dunes beyond. By taking the Sheikah habit of shadow walking to extremes, I was able to prevent myself from becoming a moving mass of sand, as I disturbed it only a tiny amount with each step I took. My feet were of course soon caked in sand that stuck to the water there, but the rest of me didn't suffer at all.

Dozens of different scents floated on the air, clashing violently as they all fought for supremacy at my nose. The underlying smell of salt and sea-air that I'd known all my life comforted me somewhat as I looked up at the town, which was bathed in early morning light, and was already full to the brim with bustling shoppers. :That's a lot of people. Without facemasks…and…: my thoughts trailed off into nothingness, because a large gust of wind was attempting to steal my facemask from me.

Hurriedly, I grabbed the edges of it, and dropped down to the sand so that I could secure it properly. I'd dared to take it off during the night, so that I could finish the last of my bar if chocolate, and obviously, I hadn't tied it properly when I'd rushed to put it back on this morning. :It's not surprising though…I'm exhausted.: At exactly the same time as I thought this, a huge yawn escaped me, and I stretched my arms up above my head to get rid of the stiff feeling being awake all night gives you.

:However, I can't sleep now…nor tonight…drat.: Wondering just when I would be getting my next sleep, I stood up again, and carried on making my way up the beach and towards the sand-dunes that lead up to the main road, and as such, the main part of Windfall's village. It looked an awfully long way for my tired legs to walk (I'd had to stand all night as Rufus was taking up all the room on the deck.) Perhaps I could just sit down and rest for a little while before going into the town…after all, it wasn't like the boy was going to be setting out for a good few hours yet.

I carried on up the particular sand dune I was traversing, and then slid down the steep slope on the other side. In the tiny valley between that dune and the next the wind was completely cut off by the barricade of sand and sea-grass. It was incredibly peaceful here, and the sand was a nice lukewarm temperature – just right for leaning on. I did just that, shuffling around to make a small hollow in the sand, and then becoming completely still as soon as I was comfortable.

A few hundred yards away, I could hear the laughter of children, and, closer to, the rumbling noises made by carts and horses going along the road I'd seen. The port must be on the other side of the island, and they were probably transporting produce to and fro. At Opacus Isle, we'd never had any such carts or transport systems – generally, we'd take everything around by ourselves. The few horses we did have were only used for riding and sometimes for pulling ploughs and things like that…but nothing all that strenuous.

I didn't really like horses… They were too big, and I'd once helped in trying to break a wild one, and it had managed to strike me on the collar-bone and fracture it in several places. (Of course, Coryn had been able to heal it quickly enough, but I still had a great dislike for horses.)

A shadow fell over me, and looking up, I saw a tall woman standing at the top of the dune in front of me. She had mostly green hair, apart from two startlingly white bangs that framed her chiselled and deeply tanned face. A cutlass was casually slung at her waist, and she grinned lopsidedly at me, fiddling with an eye patch on which an eye had been stitched. "Name's Marie," she said by way of an introduction. "Red told me he'd a Sheikah looking for a boat. 'Shadow', isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right," I nodded, and the pink lotus flower in my hair fell onto the sand. The petals had wilted to a crisp yellowy colour, with only the very centre of the bloom still that delicate pink colour. Absently, I scooped a handful of sand over the dead bloom, and then started to stand.

"Oh, don't bother. I can't give you your boat for a while yet. She needs a few finishing touches. I just thought I'd introduce myself in passing. If you need me before the fourth hour after noon, I'll be in town, in the potions shop owned by a Doctor Bandum." With that, she left, clearing my view of the blue sky above. I shook my head, surprised to find the image of the strange woman sticking in my mind. Never before had I seen quite such strange clothes…

The second yawn of the morning escaped me, and, hoping (more praying) that I wouldn't suffer any interruptions, I closed my eyes, and hummed softly, un-tensing all of my muscles one by one. First my toes, then my feet, my legs, torso, arms, hands, back, neck, head, mind… I stopped humming, and dropped my head back onto the sand; I twitched my arms slightly to entwine the straps of my bag around them (so that it couldn't be taken without waking me), and then blanked out everything around me. I needed some sleep after all.

* * *

"_I still haven't found the brat descendant of the princess!" It was that man again – the one with the auburn hair. He was pacing, and at the end of the outburst, slammed his fist against a wall. It landed with a hollow thud, and he leant against what I now knew to be wood, shoulders heaving as he gulped in air. "Where is it? So long I've looked, and still…I have not found it…" he whirled about and those eyes…_

_Those terrible, amber eyes. Soft and liquid as honey, yet hard and brittle and full of all the menace of a cobra about to strike. _

"_Tell me where it is…" his voice, so shortly before a towering inferno of rage, was now soft and silken. The contrast was startling; just like his eyes, those two extreme emotions didn't seem like they belonged to the same person. The perspective of the vision changed, and I was surprised to find myself looking upon a fairy, chained with some sort of magic, behind and slightly to the left of me. :Well, at least now I know he wasn't staring at me.: I studied the fairy, shocked by just how – strange as it is to say it, since they're immortal beings anyway – but, she looked so very young._

"_For the last time, I do not know, Dragmire," she hissed, voice as childlike as her appearance, and so much less menacing for it. He seemed to agree :Dragmire? Is that his name: and chuckled lightly. _

"_Oh, but I think you do. After all…so many years at **his** side cannot have left you oblivious, surely?" The young fairy bared her teeth at him, and again, his mood changed in the blink of an eye. "Gods damn you, impertinent wench!" She shrieked in pain, and my vision was filled with a white-hot light._

"_You'll never win…stop trying…" the fairy managed to mutter, gaining control of her voice once more. "Give up…fool…"_

Something cold and wet was pushed against the side of my face, and I awoke with a start. There was a high pitched squeal, and something kicked against the side of my head, very nearly knocking me straight back into the dream-world. Instinctively I grabbed out, and found my hands encircling a very small, and very round, pig. :What in the-: It started to struggle, and I had to tighten my grip to prevent the small pink creature from getting away.

"Hey, you!" I looked up to the dune above to see an imposing sailor glaring down at me. "That's my pig. Give it!" He slid down the sandy dune, and snatched the small creature from my hands. "Stupid foreigners," he grumbled, hiking back up the sand and disappearing from sight.

"Well…that was…interesting," I said to myself, wiping my face and rising to my feet. I decided not to dwell on the complete rude manner of the man. After all, not all of the people of other races would be like that.

Thinking of other races bought me right back to the vision I'd just had. It had been so…vivid. A shudder passed through me, and not even the morning sun could get rid of the chill that was on me. By looking up, I knew that it hadn't even been an hour since we arrived at this island, so I didn't need to worry about Red and the boy just yet. My stomach, which had been behaving itself, now let out a growl of discontent.

:Now I wish I'd kept that pig: I thought with a wry smile, before weaving my way ponderously up towards the road I'd spied earlier. There'd be food in the main town – I'd smelt several different kinds of meats and breads cooking on my way up, and, as I reached the crest of the sand-dune I was traversing, those scents assaulted my nostrils once again. One particular one that stood out was the smell of slowly roasting fresh fish…and yet, that wasn't coming from the main town at all.

I turned around to look down at the docks I had only just noticed, and saw a multitude of carts and horses gathered around a ship that had just come in. They were unloading the cargo, and I had to make my way down carefully, for even more carts were coming along the road to collect the new goods. And, a little way away from the bustle of the un-loaders was a stooped old woman roasting fish on an iron grill over an open fire. The further growling noises my stomach made compelled me to pick up my pace, and I was soon at the very end of the cobbled road.

I teetered on the edge of the grass, wondering whether it would be polite for me to just forge ahead and ask the woman for some food. I couldn't see any form of queue around her, and I delved into my pack for the wallet of money that Red had given me. Peering in, I could have kicked myself (were it not almost impossible, and it would be very undignified). Of course, the smallest denomination of money I had was a silver rupee…and I very much doubted that the woman would have sold enough fish, perhaps in a whole **year** to afford to give me change for such a vast amount of money.

Regretfully, I turned around, and shifted the folded sail underneath my arm in a disgruntled manner. :I'm so hungry…: I started when I realised I was beginning to sound like Firen, and admonished my stomach silently as it continued to make itself known to both me, and the world around. A couple of passing trades-men stared when a particularly loud ruction made itself known, and I felt glad of my facemask, which hid my flushing cheeks.

:Ah well, it looks like I'll just have to go hungry for a bit longer, until I've bought all my other supplies…now, what do I need: I mentally checked off a list of things I would need for a journey of un-predictable length; I would probably be able to hunt for food should I need to, and water was plentiful if you knew how to make fresh water from seawater. The boat I'd be travelling in had already been paid for by Red, and it had its own sail, so I didn't need to worry about buying on-

:Hang on. Of course, I can sell this one. It won't fetch much, and then I can use that money to get me some damned food: I was surprised that it had taken me quite so long to figure out how to handle the situation. :However, I haven't slept properly since I left home, so it's not surprising.: With this new plan of action in mind, I managed to quieten my stomach with promises of food, and I forged upwards to the town on the summit of the island. The prospect of so many people in one place, and without face-masks, did not seem quite so daunting now that I had an objective, and I held my head high with this new upsurge of confidence.

'Rumble, grumble, growl'. :Was that me: I looked around, and suddenly caught sight of the boy…Rufus. He was just beginning to make his way onto the road, and there was nowhere for me to hide. And I wasn't going to run off, because that would spark his suspicions. Not to mention my own stomach might decide to start talking again! So, instead, as nonchalantly as I could, I brushed past him, murmuring an apology as I did so.

It was easy enough to sneak a look at him as I went past, and I was surprised to see that he didn't look at all worse for wear. His cheeks were a little flushed, but it seemed that the fever hadn't managed to take a hold on him after all. And his eyes…they were so bright and vivid. The same azure as the sea on a really sunny day.

I shook my head as I strode along. :You're beginning to study things far too much: I scolded myself. :Remember your training. Now, let's look for that sail merchant.: Sneaking a look over my shoulder, I could see that that Rufus was also making his way into the town, only at a more sedate pace. :Funny really; I would have thought if his stomach was growling that much, he'd be desperate to get there.:

Unable to fathom the inner workings of the Hylian mind, I turned my attention to searching for the stall Red had directed me to. How apt that it too should have a red coloured item on it. That definitely made it a lot easier for me to remember where it was I had to go.

* * *

It took a lot longer than I expected to find the stall I was looking for. It seemed that whilst Red had given me the right instructions, he hadn't bothered to say that there were also dozens of other stalls with red drapes over them. The magnitude of my hunger was getting to such an alarming point that I was contemplating just shooting a seagull down at the port and eating that. Luckily, etiquette told me that this would be frowned upon, and instead, I continued in my mission to find the correct stall.

When I finally did manage to find it, I also found myself in a very quiet part of the market-place, just before a tiny winding side-street. The man behind the stall was leaning back in his chair, slumbering lightly. I approached silently so that I wouldn't startle him, and then waited patiently for him to open his eyes. My stomach, still protesting its emptiness, was the noise that finally drew him out of his hazy resting, and he blinked uncomprehendingly at me for a good few seconds.

"Oh, hello there, and good day!" he finally burst out, face expanding into a broad grin. "And how may I help you this fine day young miss?"

I held up the sail, "A friend told me that I could trade you this for a few rupees," I answered. "It's got a few tears, but could probably be used for something." I handed the cloth to him, and he inspected it closely, letting out a few 'mmms' and 'aaas' as he did so. I had absolutely no idea what he was doing, and let my mind (and eyes) wander around the rest of the market place. I made sure not to make eye contact with anyone, because it was just so embarrassing. All those bare faces everywhere!

"Yes, well, this has seen better days, hasn't it?" I snapped my attention back to the shopkeeper. "Its good material, but there's not much left that can be used…"

"Oh…well, I don't really need it, so you can just have it if you wish," I answered, and then wondered why I'd just done that. :You're hungry, and you've probably just sealed a deal for nothing! Stupid:

"Well, I can't give you nothing after all the trouble you took to find me." I started at that, and wondered how he'd known. "Everyone always seems to find it a chore to find me. I would move the stall, but there's just nowhere else to put it," he explained. "Here, how does ten rupees sound?"

:It sounds like enough to get some food.: "That sounds fine," I said, extending a hand to accept the payment. He dropped a blue rupee, and five green ones into my palm. "Thank you."

"Good day." With that, I hurried off again, hoping that the woman was still there with her roasting fish. Then, a small voice of reason (from the part of me that still remembered I was meant to be a Sheikah warrior for Gods' sakes!) piped up. :You know, it would save a lot of time if you bought the things you'd need along the way, instead of going all the way back to that woman, and then having to climb the hill again.: I couldn't really argue with the reason, and my stomach hadn't been complaining as much as before.

:And, you can always purchase some food around here – why do you need to go back to that woman: That was a good point as well… I breezed past a few stalls selling live chickens and one that was covered in shining golden jewellery, and then spotted a sign swinging in the breeze that captivated me. 'Gillian's café-bar'. There was a picture of a steaming cup of coffee, and a very tasty looking sandwich underneath the writing, and without further hesitation, I strode up the small set of steps that led to the entrance.

The door of the café was made of heavy worn oak, which I took as a sign that it must be well used, which must mean the café itself was very popular amongst the islanders. That, and my pining stomach, along with the tempting waft of coffee and baking goods enticed me inside. I pushed the door open, and was surprised at how light it was. As soon as the door drifted shut behind me, the light was cut in half, and I was greeted by an ambient scene, lit by flickering oil lamps.

A woman in a blue dress and wearing a white apron around her waist cast an interested glance my way, before carrying on her conversation with another customer. I looked around to see whether there was any sort of menu or some such that would tell me how much the goods here were. Finally, I managed to spot a small black board covered in chalk writing – it was in common Hylian, so I had little trouble translating what it said, and figured out that I had more than enough to buy myself a decent meal.

"Yes miss, how can I help you?" the lady in the blue dress queried, having dealt with the other customer.

"I'd like something to eat," I answered, still pondering the board.

"Anything in particular?" she asked, obviously trying to contain a laugh.

"Oh, yes, sorry…that was a bit vague," I said, smiling a little myself. "Just a black coffee and a sandwich would be nice – cheese, if you have it."

"Yeah, we do. Got some more delivered yesterday, so you'll get it nice and fresh. If you'd like to take a seat, I'll bring that all out to you," she turned around and made to breeze off behind the counter and into the kitchen.

"Excuse me, but, how much is…?"

"Oh, yes, sorry. I'm really not with it today – this is the third shift I've worked in a row – one of our regulars is off, you see," she explained, rubbing her forehead with a tired sigh. "Right, black coffee and cheese sandwich – that comes to…ten rupees. I'll collect that when I come with your food, all right miss?"

"That'll be fine," I nodded, walking towards a free table, and then unfastening my wallet from my belt. I slid into a roughly hewn wooden chair, and was surprised at how comfortable it was. Leaning back slightly, I felt the muscles in my back give a little twinge of complaint, before they relaxed into this new position. :I am never, ever, going to sail for a twenty four hour stint ever again: I swore to myself, finding new aches when I shifted to get more comfortable in the seat.

The man who the waitress had been speaking to earlier was digging in to a steaming bowl of soup, and I inhaled surreptitiously, taking in the delicious scent of various vegetables. The man was the only other customer within the café, and I realised with a start that I had been staring at him for longer than was appropriate, and abruptly looked at my hands. :Oops.: I wondered what mother and my teachers would say if they could see me now…they'd probably be horrified that I was acting so much like a Hylian, rather than a respectable Sheikah warrior.

But, the truth was…I wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to act around these people. They didn't know our customs, and I didn't know theirs, and it was all very complicated. :Far too complicated for me to think about since I haven't had a proper sleep for thirty-six hours, or thereabouts.: I decided that I would stop thinking about it, just as I had decided to stop thinking about so many things since I'd set out from Opacus Isle, and concentrated on what I would have to do for the rest of the day.

When the waitress arrived with my food, I was so deeply immersed in planning what shops to visit and what supplies to get (with the help of a few scraps of parchment and a pencil that I hadn't realised was in my pack until now), that she had to cough a couple of times to draw my attention. "Wh- oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention," I admitted, slightly flustered that she should have seen me so off guard. :Stupid – useless – should never have left home: "Ten, wasn't it?" I delved into the wallet, and bought out the correct amount, which I then handed to the waitress.

"Thank you," she beamed, curtseying slightly before hurrying away to stand back behind the counter. The man who had been eating soup dropped his spoon into the bowl, and sighed contentedly – I looked over, and he nodded and smiled at me, offering a thumbs up signal to tell me that the food was good. :As if I couldn't already tell: I thought, almost literally salivating at the sight of the food in front of me. I pushed the scraps of parchment (bearing reminders like 'new clothes, salted meat, fresh water') out of the way, and pulled the plate and cup towards me.

It was then that I discovered a dilemma I had managed to (stupidly) overlook ever since my quest for food had begun.

I couldn't take my facemask off, because the waitress and the man, who had just finished his meal, would see my face. And that would just be…too embarrassing for words. :Oh Gods, how stupid can you get: I cursed myself, and looked longingly at the food. I was so very hungry, but I couldn't take my facemask off – I just couldn't! To have complete strangers see my face would just be…it made me shudder just thinking about it.

:There has got to be a way to do this… I mean, the traders who come here to buy supplies must eat, so how would they do it: I scratched the back of my hand (the index and ring finger of which was encased in bandages. That was the symbol of a fully-fledged warrior – I'd changed them whilst sailing last night) and wondered what to do. I surreptitiously looked around to see whether there were any boothed tables (something I should have done earlier); there weren't.

There was, however, a porthole shaped window that looked out onto the street below, and in the near distance, the port. And, underneath the window (in fact, all along the back wall,) was a bar, coupled with a line of high stools to sit on. As nonchalantly as I could, I picked up my belongings, and my meal, and transferred the whole lot to sit in front of the window. The waitress and man were talking again whilst I did this, so I didn't need to worry about drawing unwanted attention.

Once I was at the window, I hoisted myself onto one of the stools, and wrapped my legs around the supporting struts of it. Sure that as much of my face as possible would be concealed, I pulled the front of my facemask down (leaving the back of it up so that it wasn't obvious I had it off) and started to merrily consume the piping hot coffee, and the still warm sandwich. The coffee kick started my brain, and threw my body into working order. The shackles of drowsiness removed, I was able to further study the scene out of the window, and mentally mapped out the shops that I would visit next.

From where I sat, I could even see the tall casement of the lighthouse. The front of it supported a large clock face, which read 12 o'clock. That meant I had just under four hours left before I'd need to start making my way down to the port. :Which will be plenty of time to buy all the things I'll need: I thought, glad that something was finally going in my favour. I picked up the largest scrap of parchment I'd been writing on, and finished off the list I'd started. It read:

_New clothes/ material to make new clothes  
Canisters to hold fresh water  
Some travelling food  
Deku-nuts (if I can find them)  
More red/ green potions_

I polished off the sandwich quickly, and then swirled the last of the coffee around in the cup, in order to get all of the residue off of the bottom. That way, I'd be getting an extra strong dose of coffee to get me on my way. I swallowed the whole lot of it in one go, and wondered briefly is alcohol gave quite the same kick. :Whoa – hello world: Everything suddenly came into sharper focus, and I blessed whoever it was who'd discovered the wonderful bean.

I yanked my facemask back into place, and fiddled with it for a few seconds in order to get it back in the right position. Without a mirror, I just had to trust the judgement of my hands; they told me that I'd covered the parts that needed to be covered, so I spun around on the stool, and hopped off. This gained more curious glances from the waitress and man (I suppose they were trying to be subtle, but Hylians haven't ever been known for their subtlety.) Feeling decidedly jovial now that my stomach was full, I waggled my fingers at them in a wave as I pulled open the door, and made my way back out into the sunlight.

The stark contrast between the murky light of the café and the bright light of midday left me blinking and slightly disoriented for a little while. I strolled along slowly, waiting for my eyes to adjust, and marvelling at the amount of people there were in the street around me. :There probably aren't enough traders on Opacus Isle to fill this street: I thought in awe. (This thought is even more amazing when you consider that out of the three thousand people on Opacus Isle, four hundred are traders!)

With my eyes finally used to the bright sunshine, I was able to focus on where I was going to go next. I decided that the potions, along with the food and canisters, were the most important things to attain. And, as I could remember passing a potions shop near the entrance of the town, I decided to make my way back there. I could just about make out the sign above the shop I was aiming for from where I stood, and started off towards it.

It was a strange experience, but I found myself taller than most of the people shopping in the market. This was probably because it consisted mainly of middle-aged Hylian women gossiping and bartering over goods – however, it was still odd. I'd always been 'normal height', and finding myself suddenly taller than everyone else made me feel very self-conscious. :People are staring at me an awful lot.: I suppose I couldn't really blame them…Sheikah colours are very bright… :But, couldn't they make it a little less obvious:

I looked down at the indigo clad arms with which I was clutching the straps of my knap-sack, and wondered why exactly we'd chosen indigo anyway… It was a pretty obscure colour to choose when you thought about it… Not quite purple, and not quite blue…just somewhere in the middle. A nice, unisex colour I suppose…

Just as I was pondering the reasoning behind Sheikah fashion, I managed to glimpse a colour very near and dear to me – yes, indigo! I stopped suddenly, and made a beeline towards the stall that bore my people's colour. To my surprise (and secret delight) I saw a face I knew very well, and hadn't seen for a good few months. "Quentin!" I exclaimed, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.

He looked up, and dropped the cloth he'd been folding for a customer. "Sorry sir," he apologised, all the while staring at me with disbelief. He hurriedly refolded the cloth, and then handed it to the man, accepting a red rupee for the material. "Thank you – good day."

"Good day," the man said, and then left the stall. There were no other customers in sight, so I took up a stand in front of the table covered in various materials, ranging from velvet to cotton and silk.

"Little Shadow! What in all the Great Sea are you doing here? You didn't reconsider and become a trader did you?" I noticed that whilst his hair (much longer than mine and a muddy brown) covered half of his face, I could still see half of the grin that adorned his face. It seemed that seven months away from home had given him the confidence to go maskless!

"No – I'm on a quest of sorts," I answered nonchalantly, offering a hand for him to shake in greeting.

"Indeed? Some sort of grand adventure hey?" he took my hand, shook it, and then stared at it. "Oh my! You're a warrior already? I haven't been away from home that long, have I?" I laughed, and shook my head. "Seriously…wow…you must be the youngest since…well…just plain wow!" I laughed again, glad to be in the company of a fellow Sheikah again. It hadn't been that many days, but it felt like forever since I'd spoken to one of my own kind.

"Yeah, well…that's just the way it goes I suppose!" I said, repeating an old rhyme we'd always used when he used to look after me when Mother was needed away from home. He chuckled, and then ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face. I couldn't contain my gasp, and he jumped slightly at the sound. "Oh, sorry – it's just – no facemask and whatnot."

"Oh…yes…sorry!" he tilted his head forwards and covered half of his face once more. "I suppose I'm so used to it now that I don't even realise I'm not wearing one," he said apologetically. "It'll be strange when I go back and have to go back to wearing one actually!" He extended a hand, and nudged the stall about a foot further away from the wall. "Here, want to sit down?"

"I wouldn't mind actually," I answered, carefully joining him behind the stall, and helping him drag it back to its previous position. "So, is this what you've been doing all the time you've been here?"

"Pretty much," he nodded, taking a seat on a low wooden bench that resided behind the stall. I joined him, sitting at the other end, and crossing my legs on the wood so that I could turn and face him. "I've become a renowned trader actually – buying and selling and generally making a nice profit out of it," he leant back on the wall lazily, and let out a contented sigh. "It's been quite enjoyable actually…and…" he opened the eye that I could see, and his mouth curved in a small smirk. "I met someone."

"Indeed?" I sat up, interest sparked. "What are they like?"

"Ah, Gods, it feels nice to have people ask 'what are they like', rather than 'what's she like'," he chuckled, casting a slightly derisive look to the crowd in the street.

"Well, you know I don't like to assume," I answered, amused by his disgruntled tone. "So…?"

"He's nice enough. A bit of a star-gazer; he taught me about some Hylian constellations I didn't even know about! And, he's helped me out a lot as well; it was a steep learning curve when I got stranded here over the winter."

"I'll bet," I said, looking out at the Hylians surrounding us. "I've only been here a few hours, and I'm already confused."

"I know the feeling!" we both looked at each other with understanding looks. "Now, what were you coming over for? You couldn't have recognised me immediately without the old mask."

"Actually, I was looking for a spare bodysuit, or some material to make one."

"But you can't sew."

"I could have learned!" I protested. He just shook his head, and stretched. "Urm…do you have any?"

"Any what?"

"Body suits of course!"

"I might do – but I've only got the ones with the cut-offs. You know, without sleeves and short in the leg." He raked an eye over my current attire, which was the fully-fledged body suit with long sleeves and full trousers. "I'm not sure that's the kind of apparel warriors are used to, is it?"

"Well, I suppose I could get used to it – I mean, summer is on its way after all," I decided in the blink of an eye. "How much would you want for it? Could I perhaps get a friend's discount?" I wrangled.

"No chance missy!" he countered with another of his chuckles :this man of his certainly has chipped away a lot of his inhibitions I see: "I have a business to run here!"

"Oh well, it was worth a shot!" He arose from the bench, and carelessly tossed the tablecloth away from the stall so that he could look underneath it. After a few seconds of scrabbling around, he found the box he was looking for, and dragged it out. The water-tight leather lid was covered in a sheen of dust. "Don't sell many of these here…I have to say, not many Hylians have the physique to pull it off." I snorted at this, and he looked up at me quizzically. "What?"

"Well, I was going to make a comment about your 'physique', but I fear that would end up with me in a whole deal of pain," I answered sweetly. He blinked, and then growled in annoyance.

"I can't help it. It's not like there's anywhere to train on this island."

"Yeah, sure, I believe you," I answered, biting my lip so that I wouldn't laugh and spoil the moment. He just growled again, and began searching through the box. He pulled out a suit, and threw it at me. I took it, unfolded it, and held it against myself. "This would serve me better as a tent, you do realise?" He just grunted, and threw another one at me. "And, sorry, I didn't bring my dolls with me," I said, regarding the tiny garment. "OK, I take it back! Just give me something that will fit, blast you!" I nudged him in the back with my foot, and he finally gave in, and burst out laughing.

"I have missed teasing you," he said when he managed to get his laughter under control. Then, he handed me a suit that looked like it might be a suitable size. "Still a warrior four, I take it? This is about the same – it's a mage five." I unfolded it, and held it up against me. He looked critically, and then pulled out another one. "I think you might need a mage six – it looks like you've grown more than I bargained for as well." I blushed at the double entendre that was subtly thrown in.

"Is this better?" I asked, covering up my embarrassment.

"Yes, that looks like a good enough fit. Now, do you want any extra shirts or bandages? I suppose I can give you the bandages for free…no one will buy them anyway…" He peered up at me from where he rested on his haunches next to the box of body suits.

"Well, another shirt wouldn't hurt I suppose. But, I've got more than enough bandages thanks."

"All right then. Hrm…aha, I've still got some warrior shirts here somewhere…here we are, and a size five for you now that you've gone and grown again. If you're not careful, you'll grow yourself out of your guild range!" I just batted him on the head, and he grinned cheekily. :Definitely the old babysitter I knew and adored: I thought nostalgically, as he pored through his books to find the prices for the things I was going to buy.

"OK, let's see. I suppose I can give you a slight price reduction, since I can still remember pushing you around in a pram…" He bit his lip, and the muttered a few numbers under his breath. "What do you say to thirty for the bodysuit, and twenty for the shirt."

"I say that sounds pretty good!" I answered, already fishing around for my wallet. I went through a rush of panic when I found it not there. Quentin coughed and I looked up to see him twirling my wallet in his fingers. "I see the light fingers of a night-walker never left you," I said, slightly disdainful when I remembered the background he'd come from.

"Oh, come on, it was only a bit of fun. It wasn't like I would have kept it," he said petulantly, sounding more like a child than a twenty four year old should be able to. "You know I don't do stuff like that anymore…"

"Yeah, I know…sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just tired and full of coffee," I explained.

"Ah – well, then I can understand completely!" He handed me back the wallet, and then I fished out one of the two silver rupees. "Holy Gods! Where'd you get that much cash?"

"The guy who asked me to start out on my journey did."

"Talk about your rich benefactors…are you a mercenary all of a sudden then?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No, not exactly. This is just to get the stuff I'll need to help him with."

"I see…" he nodded, though he looked confused. He set about getting the correct change, and I refolded the garments I was purchasing, and, after removing my stained suit, put them into my pack. Then, I put the stained one back on top, so that it would protect them from any such fate. "Right, here's your change; you're just lucky I do such good business, or that could have been interesting!" He dropped one hundred and fifty rupees into my upturned palm, and then, on impulse, kissed me on the forehead (which was strange). "Good luck with whatever quest you're on missy."

"Thanks. Do you want me to take any messages in case I get back to the Isle before you?" I asked, even as I shimmied back out into the street.

"Just tell my family that I'm getting on OK – oh, and tell Laurie that I'm getting close to being bloody rich!"

"Will do. But I'll have to leave out the bloody I'm afraid!" I saluted him informally, and then waved as I managed to lose myself in the crowd again. It seemed as though the smile on my face wouldn't go away, and I was still beaming when I made my way down the steps to the lowest level of the market, where the potions shop was beckoning me.

When I reached the door of the potions shop, it was to find that there was a sign on the door proclaiming 'out for lunch'. :Damn…: well, that meant the prospects of getting potions before I set off pretty low indeed. I struck that off of my list of things to get – and that left me with just Deku-nuts, water canisters, and food to buy. And this area of the town certainly had the second two in abundance…the Deku-nuts, however, looked as though they'd be as difficult to find as I'd feared.

:After all, what use would Hylians have for them: It looked like I would have to strike that off of my list of things to purchase as well. :At least I've got my needles and whip to get on with.: The needles were a veritable miracle, as they replenished constantly. :If only Deku-nuts could do the same thing…:

I put aside the disappointment of being unable to purchase these things, and made a beeline for a food stall already bearing a large queue of customers. The price tags that I'd seen from a distance had been reasonable, and the selection of travelling foods was quite large. I studied them as I came nearer and nearer to the front of the queue, and decided upon two loaves of bread, three bags of cured ham, and a bag of dried fruits. It all came to the round figure of thirty rupees, which I dutifully paid (luckily I had the right change), and I then pushed my way back out of the queue.

Looking up at the clock, I saw that I'd still over three hours left until I needed to meet that woman at the docks. :I suppose I could always search the rest of town to see if there's another potions shop, or somewhere with Deku-nuts. It couldn't do any harm…: With that thought in mind, I carefully shuffled all the packages I was carrying, turned around and made my way back to the stairs that led to the second level of the market.

The crowds on the stairs were particularly large, and I used my height to its full advantage in order to make my way through the many Hylian shoppers. As such, I didn't realise I was about to collide with someone until I actually walked into them. The crowd was jostling everyone, and I suddenly found myself knocked to the ground – luckily the crowd parted just enough so that I wasn't stepped on, and carried on moving around me.

"Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry!" a boy babbled, and he helped me to pick up all the things I'd dropped. When he handed them back to me, I looked up, and was surprised to find myself face to face with Rufus yet again. He too looked surprised, and I had to search around for something pleasant to say (well, actually, for anything to say.) I wet my lips, and then managed a quiet answer,

"No harm done, and thank you for helping me with these." I clutched the packages close to my chest, and then left as politely as I could at high speed. :Not good – I've bumped into the lad twice now. Oops…: I hurried up the rest of the steps, and then carried on through the second level, knowing that there weren't any shops there I needed, and I then hurried up to the third level.

There, I made my way into a shadowy door way, and watched as the boy followed after me, stalking with a grace I'd not seen in a Hylian before. He literally bounced up the steps onto the level that I was on, and then looked around with a slightly put-out look on his face. I wondered briefly if I should perhaps introduce myself, since he seemed so keen to know me, but I then remembered what Red had said.

So, I observed the lad as he walked lazily from shop to shop, and was relieved when he disappeared up another set of steps soon after wards. I crept unobtrusively back out of the doorway I'd hidden in, and started searching the shops for the two things left on my list.

* * *

Two hours and an extortionate amount of money later, I had my Deku-nuts, but still hadn't managed to find anywhere else that sold potions. Still annoyed at the hideous price I'd been forced to pay for forty Deku-nuts (the trader started off asking for a hundred, but I whittled him down to eighty), I started making my way back to that potions shop, which must have finished its lunch break by now.

The streets were quieter now, and enjoyed the quietness. I hadn't realised just how loud the place was until now, and my head was throbbing slightly from all the punishment it had taken from this noisy place earlier. "Shadow!" I started, and looked around, before remembering the stone and taking it out.

"Yes?"

"You need to get down to the docks now."

"But…Marie won't be there until-"

"She's in trouble my dear. A band of rather rough gentlemen leant her money, and now they want payment – I need you to either pay them off with the money you have, or help her get out of trouble." With that, the link was cut off, and I was unable to ask any more questions. With a sigh, I loosened the ties on my whip, and set off at a steady jog down through the market and then out of the town.

Even from a distance, I could hear heated shouting, and when I rounded the sand-dunes and saw the port, I could see Marie backed up on the end of the jetty, hands defiantly on her hips as four quite large gentlemen heckled her. I slowly wound my way past piles of crates and coils of rope, so that I was close enough to hear what was going on.

"…don't have your money. You said you didn't need paid back for another couple of months yet."

"Yes, well, there have been changes of plan. We need a little capital to aid a venture of ours."

"You mean you're not getting any, so you need some money to pay for it?" she jibed mockingly, and looking around the crates I was hidden behind, I saw that she was smirking darkly. One of the men lunged forwards, and was caught by the one next to him.

"Now that you mention it... I've personally been feeling a little…unloved of late, shall we say?" he purred dangerously. "And, if we can't get the money for such things from you, maybe we'll just have to get the thing itself." My eyes widened when my brain had processed the words and understood the meaning of this. :Small as I am, and stupid as it is to get involved in gang fights, there's no way I'm going to allow something like that to happen: The code and conduct of a warrior called that I help this 'damsel in distress'.

"Excuse me," I called, raising my voice as loud as I could without straining it. They all turned around, and Marie stared at me in surprise.

"Yes missy?" the man who'd just made the statement that horrified me, asked. Now that I saw his face, I felt even more intimidated than I had before. He had sparse black hair on his head, which was made up for by an abundance of facial hair.

"Oh, I was just passing, and noticed that you were implying something extremely rude to my friend here." I nodded my head to Marie. :OK, little white lie about the friend thing…ah well.: "And, well, would it really harm you to have any manners?" He raised an eyebrow, and then looked around at his comrades. As one, they burst into gormless sounding guffaws.

"Ah, quite funny m'dear. Don't believe I've had such a laugh in a long time."

"I wasn't trying to make you laugh, sir," I said, adding a little more vehemence than I probably should have. :Don't get angry. Getting angry means you make mistakes.: The old mantra calmed me down, and I decided that talking was preferable to fighting when it came to people this much bigger than me. "I was merely pointing out the fact that your wording is quite disgusting, and I would have thought anyone with half a brain would be able to be a little bit more civil to a lady."

"A lady? That bitch?" the man with the black hair was obviously the ring-leader. I was temporarily shocked into silence by the harsh swear word. "She owes us over a hundred rupees!" I did a quick calculation, and realised I didn't have enough to cover that.

"Well, I was giving you the chance to redeem yourself, but, never mind. Now, gentlemen, would you mind awfully getting out of the way so that I may speak to my friend before you try to harm her?" The men just threw glances at one another, and grinned identical, stupid grins. "I'll take that as a no then," I muttered, as two of them advanced towards me, and the other two made for Marie. With a mental sigh, wondering at the stupidity of these people before me, I waited for them to start charging.

As soon as they did, I jumped easily out of the way, turned around, and managed to get one of them in the back of the head with my left foot. :That was far too easy.: The other one tripped over his fellow fool, and I withdrew my whip. This, I used to give both of them a small dose of electricity, before they rose from the floor. :That should keep them unconscious for a few minutes at least.:

Looking towards Marie, I saw that she was managing to hold her, but was swiftly running out of wooden decking. I rushed forwards, and had just enough time before I launched my assault to see Marie's jaw drop. Then, I sprang into the air, spinning 180 degrees on the horizontal axis as I did so. This meant that when I landed, I was facing the two remaining men, one of whom was the ring-leader.

"Get out of our way, missy, unless you want us to hurt you as well," he growled, throwing a sloppy punch. I ducked, grabbed his arm, and used it as leverage to spring a good ten feet in the air. :Gods I love being a Sheikah: I grinned as all three of the Hylians looked up at me in disbelief. Whilst I was still in the air, I snapped my whip down, and it connected with the shoulder of the black haired man. A split second later, I had buzzed him with electricity, and he had collapsed onto the deck. I landed, and then remaining mad looked first at me, then at Marie, then at his fallen comrades, and ran off.

"I think we'd better leave before those three wake up," I told Marie, who was still staring. "They won't be out for long…Marie?" I waved a hand in front of her face, and she blinked, and then focused on me.

"How in the bloody hell did you do that?" she spluttered.

"I'm a Sheikah – we can all do it," I answered calmly. She just nodded, and her eyes again fell on the three men out cold on the jetty. "It's just a little magic I used. There won't be any lasting damage."

"Pity…" she muttered, and then looked at me again. "Well then, I suppose its earlier than planned, but, I'm very glad you got here when you did."

"Yeah, well, Red told me you were in a spot of bother."

"He did?" she looked slightly annoyed by that – I decided not to question her. "Here, I'll take you to Flo before these three wake up."

"Flo?"

"That's what I called the boat I'm lending you," she answered brusquely, striding down a side arm of the pier (though not before kicking the black haired man soundly in the chest.)

* * *

"Are you sure you want to come?" Red asked through the stone. I was holding it up, and Marie was looking at it with a determined frown.

"Of course I am. It's not like I'll be in any more danger wherever you're going, than I would be here. In fact, I might even be safer!"

"But, Marie, it'll make Shadow's job a whole lot harder!" he protested.

"She doesn't mind, do you?" Marie asked me.

"No, I don't care," I said, and Red groaned.

"Oh Gods, why…why does this always happen to me?" He grumbled a few words that I didn't quite catch. "All right, you can come Marie – but only as far as Dragon Roost – after that, you'll have to find your own transport to get around. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Well, you'd best get going then – the boy and I will catch up in a short while. Shadow, make sure that you keep in sight, but don't make it obvious you're following, all right?"

"Fine." Red broke the link, and Marie looked at me with a wide smile.

"Well, it looks like you'll be stuck with me for a while longer. At least I've got my own bodyguard now." I just nodded, a little scared of this pirate woman.

* * *

_Blah – that was nothingy. Sorry! Oh, and notice the way I prostitute the same names over and over again in my fics? Like 'Quentin' for instance…I have to get a baby book or something! _

_Notes of thankies aren't allowed in here, so I shall have to reply to the ol' reviews via email when I get the time. Looks around furtively However, I think I can throw a few hugs to H7 and Lossemare now anyway! HUGS! Thanks you two!_

_Soda x_

_PS: Jazz music is really helpful when you get writer's block. I've been listening to Jamie Cullum, Michael Buble, and even a bit of Will Young, and it's helped greatly. The one thing I will say is, don't actually listen to them whilst writing, because it's distracting – just use them as a booster for your inspiration… So, thanks to them and their voices that reduce me to a puddle of fantard jelly. _


	7. Rufus: Redeeming Royalty

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter, Shadow managed to get all the supplies she'd need for her journey (well, apart from potions.) And, after rescuing the pirate woman Marie from a little bit of Zelda style 'gang fighting', she's on her way to follow Rufus and help him on his quest…with Marie in tow. (What is it with me and complicated story lines?) However, let's ignore Shadow and go back to Rufus, who's on his way to Dragon Roost Isle with the King of Red Lions…and I very much doubt Rufus has much of an idea about what's going on. Bless his cotton socks!_

_Rufus:Sighs, and proceeds to be glomped by various female (and male…I don't like to assume after all) readers:_

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

_

* * *

_

_**Rufus: Redeeming royalty**_

"Come on lad, wake up! We've arrived!" I started at the voice, and bumped my head against something very hard at high speed. It sounded like wood…the floor was moving around a lot, and when I sat up, I found myself face to face with the prow of a talking boat!

"Oh Gods, you ta- oh yeah…" all of a sudden I remembered where I was, and who (well, 'what', the boat was.) "Heh…sorry. Just a little…uh – hey, is that Dragon Roost?" I pointed to the island in front of us, hoping that this would distract the boat :what's his name again: from my stupid waking up drama. I'm not sure if it worked, as he gave me a strange look before turning around to look at the island again. Luckily, he didn't make a big deal of it, and answered my question.

"Yes Rufus, that is Dragon Roost island. Now, I bet you're wondering about the name of this place, aren't you?" I thought about saying 'not really', but decided it would probably be better just to grunt instead. After what I'd just said, it didn't seem wise to let myself talk for a while…at least, not until I'd woken up properly! "Well, its named so because there is in fact a great dragon, by the name of Valoo…wait, have I told you all this before? I'm getting a feeling of de ja vu."

"De ja what?" I asked, and then realised just how stupid I sounded. "I mean, uh, I don't think you have. Just tell me anyway, because if you have, I've forgotten…" I trailed off, and rubbed the sleep dust from my eyes, praying that my brain would start working sometime soon. Also, I discovered just why you shouldn't fall asleep on a boat – I was sitting in a puddle of cold sea water, which had soaked through my tunic, and now I was sopping wet. :Ah well, you should have stayed awake then, shouldn't you:

Red just chuckled :I remember, that's his name: and then carried on explaining. "Well, as I was saying, this island is guarded by this great dragon Valoo. He's the protector of all the airborne creatures, from the sea gulls to the Rito people themselves-"

"Like Quill you mean?"

"Yes, like Quill. Well, what you must do is go and see this dragon, and request-"

"Wait a minute, _see _this dragon? Are you mad?" I looked upwards, and I saw a great column of smoke rising from the very top of the central mountain of the island.

"No, I'm quite sane, thank you Rufus," Red told me stiffly. "Valoo will not harm you – he is a kind and gentle spirit, and I have known him for many years. Now, may I continue without interruption?" he looked around at me, and I nodded, feeling my face flush guiltily. "Good." He turned around again, and I could tell that he too was casting his eye towards the pillar of smoke. "You must request the ancient artefact, 'Din's pearl' from the great Valoo, and then you need to come back here with it.

"Of course, you cannot just march straight up to Valoo. You'll need to go to the Rito city, which is just through that pass up there," I looked around, and saw where he meant. "There, you need to seek out the king of the Rito, and then ask his permission to see Valoo. He will of course give you permission, but it is always best to ask first." I remembered the fairy I'd set free back on Windfall Island, and knew he was referring to that…

"So, shall I just get going then?" I asked, without really realising I was asking it until after I'd said it. :I am definitely not a morning person: I thought, yawning widely. We had been steadily nearing the shore ever since I'd woken up (and probably had been for the whole night as well), and when Red didn't answer, I guessed that meant he wanted me to go. So, after waiting a few more seconds so that we were only a few feet away from the sandy beach, I hopped out of the boat.

I expected to find the floor beneath my feet, but was surprised to find that I couldn't touch it at all! I spluttered, and swam back to the surface, surprised by the great drop off that there was under the water. "This is no time for a swim Rufus!" Red scolded, bumping gently against the shoreline. "Stop messing around boy, there's something else I need to give you before you go." I mentally sighed, and swam to shore, only finding my feet about a foot away from where the beach emerged from the water. The incline was steep, and without the water there, I'm not sure I would have been able to scale it!

"Hurry up, hurry up!" Red urged, craning around to look at me. I literally crawled so that I was sitting in front of him, and then collapsed into a heap. "Really, what on earth did you want to do that for?"

"To…wake myself up…" I offered, taking my hat off and wringing the water out. He just sighed heavily, and shook his head. :Well, it's true; I am a bit more awake than I was.: I looked inquisitively at Red, and waited for him to speak again. Finally, he focused his eyes on me again, and I perked up my ears to hear what he had to say.

"Now Rufus, I need you to listen carefully to me now, because this is very important. What I'm about to give to you is not a toy, and you must never allow anyone else to see it. It is a very powerful tool of magic, that we will need in order for you to carry out your quest and save your sister." That part certainly caught my attention, and I listened even harder. "Now, can you promise me that you'll be able to keep this a secret?"

"Of course!" I cried. "Look, if it can help me to save Aryll, I'll do anything!"

"Be careful boy…it may well come to that…" he said softly. "Well, I trust you, and I believe that you won't misuse this, so, here." There was a blinding flash of light, accompanied by a soft lilting melody that made me feel sleepy all over again. The flash died away quickly, but the melody carried on, though it was changing – the key was modulating to a staunchly major one, and this woke me up even better than the dip in the sea had.

In Red's mouth, was a baton of highly polished silver material, the handle of which was shaped ornately. "'ake ick," Red urged (I translated that as 'take it'). That was exactly what I did – I held the baton carefully, and realised that the music was in fact coming from the baton itself! "Rufus," I looked back up at my companion, "this is the Wind Waker; it will allow you to harness the powers of the Gods, and change the course of the winds so that we may travel easily across the sea. It has only ever been used for good, and I would not wish that to change, which is why you must keep it a secret, and you must keep this baton to yourself."

"How does it work?" I asked, studying the curious handle. It seemed to be in some sort of pattern that I could swear I had seen before…though I couldn't think where. :It's like – a memory from a dream.: As soon as I'd thought that, I knew _exactly_ where I'd seen it before:

"Daddy, do you have to go?" I whined, clinging onto dad's leg in a vain attempt to stop him from leaving. "You're going to make it back for my birthday, aren't you?"

"_Of course we will darling!" mum said, ruffling my hair, and then bending over Aryll, who was sound asleep in her cot. "Nicholas, we really need to get going before the tide is against us…" she lowered her voice slightly, but I heard anyway. "You know that the relic is important…we can't allow some pirates to get it!"_

"_I know dear – now, where are those papers?" I knew exactly which papers he meant, because I'd hidden them, thinking they were maps. However, I'd seen them getting maps from Sturgeon, and had put the papers back on the table where I'd found them. Deciding to be a help rather than a hindrance (because, by some strange logic, I believe this would make them get back quicker), I hurried over to the table as quickly as my short legs could carry me, and grabbed the bits of paper. _

_The top one fell off and fluttered to the floor. I bent down to pick it up, and was enthralled by the pretty patterns on the paper; dad ended up having to tempt me away with a sweet before being able to get the papers from me…_

"That was nine years ago," I mumbled, fingering the cold swirling fronds of the metal handle. It was probably the first time I'd thought about mother and father for years… The beginnings of tears welled up in my eyes.

"Pardon?"

"What?" I surreptitiously wiped my eyes on my sleeve.

"Did you even hear a word I said?" Red asked sternly.

"No…sorry…I was in another world," I answered vaguely, studying the baton like it could give me some clue to why my parents had to – had to. :Don't start crying, that won't help anyone: I sniffed, and looked up at the boat, who was looking worried. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "Could you explain it again for me. And I'll listen this time, I promise!"

"Are you all right Rufus?"

"I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth. "Please go ahead and explain that again for me."

"Are you sure you're-" I just glared at him, and he stopped mid-sentence. "Well, to answer your question for the second time, it 'works' by 'conducting' the very air itself. But, in order to do this, you will need to visit the shrine of the great God, Zephos, which is on the other side of the island. There, you will learn how to conduct the wind, and what melody you need to change the wind's direction. However, you don't need to worry about that for now, so you may as well put the Wind Waker away."

"Oh, all right." I shoved it into the bag that I'd been given along with the food I'd bought at Windfall Island the previous day. "So, should I start off towards the Rito city then?"

"That would be a good idea, yes." I stood up, and brushed off all the sand that had clung to my wet clothes. "Oh, lad."

"Yes?"

"Just make sure you're careful. Times are bleak recently, so there may be some less than pleasant creatures around on the island. It's daylight, so most of them should be hiding – but, just be careful, all right?"

"I will," I assured him, slipping out the Hero's sword and putting my family shield onto my arm, ready for any monsters that should try and challenge me. I silently dared them to:Come on, I can take down any monster: I smiled slightly, and made my way towards the beaten track that led up the side of the cliffs, and up towards the pass that I'd need to go through to get to the Rito's city.

However, I'd only gone a short way, before I came up against an obstacle. Luckily, it wasn't a monster of any kind, and, judging by the steepness of the climb I was about to make, I thought it wise to put away my weaponry. From the beach, I hadn't realised just how steep the cliffs were _before_ I could even get to the path.

Actually, I hadn't even noticed the cliffs at all… The rock they were made of was exactly the same colour as the rock behind, and it had…blended in somewhat. :Now what do I do? I'm not really all that great when it comes to climbing.: But, at that moment, I was accosted by someone who I was incredibly glad to see – what with the fact that he was an occupant of this island, and would of course know how I was supposed to get to the Rito city.

"Rufus? Rufus, is that you?" there was the sound of flapping wings, and I looked up to the top of the cliffs I had been pondering over, to see Quill hovering above, and slowly bringing himself down to land. "It is you!" he exclaimed when he came close enough to be able to see my face properly. He dropped further down in his descent, and then suddenly stopped flapping about ten feet up in the air.

"Hey, watch out, you're going to," he landed gracefully next to me, and then stood up, looking at me quizzically, "land without hurting yourself…" I ended lamely, wondering when I'd learn to keep my big mouth shut before noon. "How did you do that?" I asked, swiftly looking back up to where he'd been before his seemingly suicidal end to wind flapping.

"Do what?" he queried, and I noticed that his wings had retracted so that they could barely be seen.

"That – the whole falling ten feet without it hurting quite a bit," I answered, a little timidly I'll admit. Well, he did have a beak that looked very sharp…yes, he had helped persuade the pirates to take me to the Forsaken Fortress to try and- :Don't even start thinking about that again Rufus: I warned myself, knowing that I needed to concentrate. And, well, the truth was, Quill was just plain scary because I'd never really been in close quarters with anyone who wasn't a Hylian before…much less stayed around to speak with them.

"Oh, that!" his eyes lit up with understanding, and he laughed slightly. "That's just the way we Rito are; though, I'll admit, I do that more often than everyone else, because my landings are atrocious." I raised an eyebrow at this, and he understood my meaning completely. "Oh, well, when I have to land to collect mail and such-like… I never really got the hang of it you see." I didn't see at all, but nonetheless, I assured him,

"Oh, yeah, I see what you mean."

"So, young Rufus, I must say I'm pleased to see that you're well after all that you've been through. And, I must also say that you have travelled very far for someone who has no wings!" he seemed particularly impressed by that fact. However, the way that his face dropped warned me that the next subject would be the one that I really didn't want to discuss. "Rufus, I do not mean to pry, for I do not know you well, but, your sister – is she…?" he trailed off.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I still felt far too guilty about my complete stupidity. I'd been making goo-goo eyes at that other girl in the cell – the rich one in the expensive looking dress – and I hadn't bothered to let them out! If only I'd moved more quickly, I could have gotten Aryll out, and she wouldn't still be sitting there all alone in that cell, and that man wouldn't be doing Gods only knew what to-

Suddenly, Quill had placed both of his hands (which I noted were not taloned as I had expected, and only had a few tufty feathers around each wrist) on my shoulders, and was speaking calming words to me. To my surprise, I found that there were furious tears in my eyes, and I had missed at least half of what he had said because of my train of thought. "-sure she'll hang in there Rufus. You mustn't worry for her – if she is anything like as strong and courageous as you are, she will be more than fine, I assure you!"

I looked up at him, and wondered how I could have been scared at him. He had a kind enough face, and, aside from the beak, looked pretty normal. And, it was nice that he cared so much, even though he'd only met me once before. :From here on, I think I'd better stop judging on looks alone.: He'd been kind to me, and I felt I owed it to him to know that I had been listening to at least a little bit of his heartfelt comforts.

"I…I know…I just. I really want to get her out of there!" I babbled, and he nodded sympathetically.

"I know you do. Of course you would – I remember when my-" he broke off suddenly, and I was again startled as he seemed to go through the exact same thought process as I had only a few moments before. His eyes shimmered, and the hands on my shoulders clenched suddenly (I didn't wince, though it did hurt quite a bit.)

"Quill?" he jumped, and let go of me abruptly. "Are you…are you all right?" He swallowed, and then smiled brightly (and falsely) at me.

"Yes, I'm all right. Just remembering a few things that I shouldn't be dwelling on right now, when there are more important things to think about! Like, for instance, the fact that I believe you may need a little help getting up onto that path. I take it that you want to get to the city, of course?" he enquired, and I nodded. "I thought as much. I'm also guessing that you'll want to see our chieftain?" I nodded again. "Well, I can certainly help you with that as well."

"Thank you very much!" I said, trying to inject a little bit of light heartedness into the conversation. :I have the feeling Quill knows more about my situation than he'd have me believe…I wonder what happened to whoever it was. He must have cared for them a lot…: I shook my head, and forced myself back to reality. As Quill himself had said, 'there are more important things to think about'.

"Don't think on it – anything to help a friend of the King of the Red Lions, and, hopefully, a friend of mine?" he too, was trying to lighten the mood, and I really appreciated it.

"Of course," I held out a hand. "I know we've already shaken hands, but, what about a pact of friendship. You ever need any help, I'll be there in a flash – because, I mean, you've already helped me out a lot." :Hey, my brain started working again! Hooray:

"The same to you of course – and I don't mind helping, not at all." He grasped my hand, and shook it strongly, "to friendship."

"To friendship," I agreed, then relinquishing his hand again. I then looked up at the cliff, back at the Rito, and briefly wondered _how_ exactly he was going to help me get up there. :If he'd going to try and carry me, he's got another thing coming.: I wasn't that I thought he couldn't…no, he looked pretty strong for a bird-man. It was just the complete weirdness of the idea of a guy picking me up and flying me through the air – not to mention that comment he made about his 'poor landings'. That had worried me quite a bit. "So," I started, hoping I sounded casual, "how do you plan on getting me up there," I pointed at the top of the cliff.

"Oh, that's simple enough. I'll just fly up, and throw down a rope for you, if that's all right? I suppose I could carry you up if you'd rather I-"

"No, that's all right, the rope will be fine," I cut in. Perhaps a little bit too early, because he gave me a slightly funny look.

"Well…in that case…stand back a little bit."

"Why?"

"Well, my take offs are no better than my landings really. It's probably best if you back away a little." I took a few steps back, and he smiled his thanks. "Just in case," he added, with a wink, before suddenly flinging his arms wide. And, in that instant, feathers sprouted all over them, and they were fully fledged wings again. :That is _so _cool: He began to flap, and I realised what he meant. Before, he may have looked graceful…now he looked a bit…odd. Like a chicken trying to fly really. I stifled a laugh at the thought, and watched sombrely as he slowly made his way into the air, and then about half a minute after that, plonked down onto the cliff.

I could see him unhooking a rope from his belt from where I stood, and he looked down at me. he waved, and then called, "I'm just going to make sure this is secure around a boulder or something before I throw it down – just in case I drop you," he chuckled again, and I grinned, watching him shimmy out of sight. A few seconds later, he came back to the edge of the cliff, "Rope coming down, look out!" The rope landed on the ground with a large thump, and I saw that there was about an extra four or five feet on the end of it, which lay coiled on the ground.

:This is going to be interesting. Maybe I _should_ have accepted his offer of a 'lift': I thought, as I again took in the height of the cliff. :That's a pretty big cliff… I'm an idiot…: Not wanting to waste his (or my) time, I did concede, and dragged myself to where the rope was, twitching slightly as Quill got a slightly better footing so that he could hold onto it. Regretting that the only things I had regularly climbed at home were trees and ladders, I wrapped the excess rope around my waist, and wedged one of my feet into an easy foothold near the base of the cliff.

Then, I wriggled my fingers across the cool stone surface to look for another hole for my hand. I found one, and continued this process, slowly but surely, making a pointed effort not to think about what would happen if I dropped from here. A tug on the rope from Quill nearly dislodged me, and he yelled down, "Come on, no need to take all day!" I could hear the smile in his voice, so I didn't take that too seriously. He probably just found it amusing that he could scale this in under a minute, and I'd already been going for five when I was finally able to reach out and grab the hand he offered to pull me up.

"Thanks," I panted, untying the rope, and coiling it up, before handing it to him. He did the same to his own end, and then looped it over his shoulder.

"Don't mention it. I almost fell asleep waiting though – do all Hylians move so slowly?" there was a teasing glint in his eye, and, feeling more comfortable in his presence than before, I decided a return jibe was in order.

"Do all Rito look like chickens when they're landing and taking off?" he gasped in mock outrage, and crossed his arms over his chest with a 'hmph'. "Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist." He broke into a smile, and his arms fell easily back to his sides.

"Ah, neither could I," he admitted. "Now, I'll go ahead and tell the chieftain that you're coming – you'll be all right from here, there are no more cliffs to climb," I nodded gratefully at this information. "I've already told a few of my friends about you, and the chieftain has heard of your bravery concerning your sister and that pirate girl," I could feel myself flushing, because even Quill seemed to be impressed, "so I think you'll get any help you need from him with no trouble. I'll wait for you inside Rufus – see you in a minute!"

With a surprising lack of fuss, he managed to become airborne (well, actually, he ran off the cliff, which made me panic, until I saw him rise back up again) and flew off over the top of the arched pass I needed to go through. :Well, that was an interesting start to the day, I must say.: I took of my hat, and ran my fingers through my hair, found a tangle, and had to use my other hand to pry my fingers out. :I told Grandma I needed a hair cut.: That done, I jammed the hat back on, and swore not to take it off in public again. My hair probably looked more like a haystack than anything else right now.

With this thought of no hat-removal in mind, I carried on up the path towards the pass. There were quite a few twists a turns, and when I walked near the edge of the path at one point, it nearly crumbled away beneath my feet, which would have pitched me into the sea. Apart from that, nothing of any note happened on my climb, and I reached the pass with no problem, just as Quill had said I would.

* * *

The guards at the entrance to the city (which was, weirdly enough, built _inside_ the mountain that topped the island) eyed me curiously when I went past, but had obviously been ordered not to stop me. When I went in, I was astounded to find that it was indeed a _city_ inside, with houses and caves leading off in all different directions to different bits of the city. And, of course, with the nature of the population, it was built on many different levels.

"Well, have you discovered the cause of the great Valoo's anger yet?" a Rito man demanded, sternly but not altogether unkindly, of another Rito man who was holding a spear and averting his eyes. There was a golden gilt crown on the feathered head of the man who had spoken, and I made an educated guess that he must be the chieftain. When I saw Quill standing next to him, and looking at me with an apologetic smile, I knew I must be right.

"I'm afraid not sire – we do not understand his raging, and we daren't let Medli get near in case she is hurt." The man answered, quickly and quietly.

"I see…that's quite understandable. In that case, no one must go near unless it is expressly important. We must find out what is causing this rage…" his eyes had been wandering helplessly, and they alighted on me. "Hello, what's this? Quill, is this the young man you've been telling us all about?" And, then, the strangest thing happened…he bowed…to me. Not really knowing what on the Great Sea I was supposed to do, I remained almost frozen, but, when he stood up straight again, I got it into my head that it might be the polite thing to bow back. So, I did. And, judging by the smile that was still there on the chieftain's face, I'd taken the right decision.

"Yes sire. This is Rufus. Rufus, this is our chieftain."

"Pleased to meet you," I said, just as Grandma had always told me to greet people.

"I'm very pleased to meet you also, young man. I have heard a great deal about you from Quill – it is a very troubling business about your sister. I insist that you let us know if there is anything we can do to help you! We shall do anything in our power to assist you, for one of such courage deserves the help and admiration of others." I felt flushed again, and embarrassed at all these people telling me I was brave. I'd been _terrified_ of leaving home, but I had to save Aryll…that was all there was to it.

"I – thank you very much – sir," I added, awkwardly. He just smiled as brightly as he had done before the talk about Aryll.

"Not at all. However, I cannot promise this assistance to you to be immediate – as you may have seen when you arrived, the great Valoo has been raging – he is the dragon on the summit of the mountain. As you can tell, we of the Rito tribe have a profound connection to the sky, and we make our livings on the airways, delivering mail and transporting goods, all by the grace of sky spirit, Valoo." Now, I know that any other boy my age would probably have fallen asleep by this point, or would be desperate for the talking to end and the play to begin…

For some reason, though, this kind of thing I've always found fascinating. Maybe it was all those myths and legends Grandma (and even Mother and Father when they were still with us) used to tell me. Anything to do with the past, or Gods and Spirits was certain to have me hooked – hence me hanging on every single word and remembering all the chieftain said. "When a Rito reaches adulthood, they will journey to the top of Dragon Roost to receive a scale from our great dragon."

"I remember my trip well – he roped me into a game of checkers using big stones, and then singed me a little when I won three times in a row," Quill interjected fondly.

"He did that to me, only we were playing cards," the Rito with the spear added. The chieftain coughed, and they were quiet.

"As I was saying, they will receive a scale from the dragon – it is this scale which enables them to grow their wings, and, then, be able to fly. Recently, however, our valiant guardian has grown violent and unpredictable, and we can no longer approach him without fear for our own safety. If this continues, the fledglings who are of age will never be able to receive scales, and thus they shall not gain their wings! This could threaten our very way of life!" he sighed heavily, and turned saddened eyes to me. "I am afraid, that as chieftain, my first responsibility lies with my own people. I trust you can see that?"

"Of course. If it were me, I'd want to help out my family and friends back on Outset."

"Exactly," he nodded sagely. "And this is why, I do apologise, for you shall have to wait if you need any help. Is this all right with you?"

"Of course."

"What do you think about consulting Rufus about your son, Prince Komali?" Quill tapped the chieftain softly on the shoulder. "I feel that Link's gallantry might well inspire him to speak more freely about his worries." I gulped silently. Was I suddenly to be enlisted to play agony aunt to some boy I didn't even know, and who probably wouldn't appreciate me trying to 'get him to open up'. Even I know that that isn't the best way to make friends…

The chieftain seemed to mull it over briefly, and then pinned me with a very serious look indeed. "Let me be direct, young man. My son, Komali, is of the age to earn his wings… Yet, his resolve is…not as strong as it could be. And, what with the current situation, I sometimes fear that he may give up on ever getting his wings at all. I know this is rather forward, but, would you perhaps, as someone who is his age, speak to him? I don't know, but maybe it would help him to speak to another his own age; he might even gain some courage from you. If it's not too much trouble, of course, would you speak to him?"

It wasn't as though I could say 'no', was it? "Well, I'll try and see what I can do. No promises mind…"

"Trying is good enough! I thank you greatly! We shall do our very best to solve our problems, so that we in turn may better help you to solve yours… Now, before you go to him, there is something I wish for you to take to my son. However, I have left it in the care of a young girl Medli – Quill will take you to where she is. Perhaps she will be able to show you around our city whilst you're waiting… Regrettably, I must go now, and see what is to be done about this wretched business. Good day." He took off with a smooth motion that I saw Quill noticeably envying.

"Good day," I called up to the chieftain, who then soared away. "I guess it's just you who looks like a chicken trying to fly then…" I whispered to Quill as he led me to a walkway that spiralled around the whole outside walls of this cavern, going ever upwards. Quill just grinned asininely, and carried on walking.

We made two complete circles of the cavern, and I was starting to feel a little dizzy, when we stopped outside a large archway that led into an adjoining side cavern – more a small room really. The curtain over the doorway was half drawn, and Quill rapped his knuckles on the wooden post outside the door, which seemed to have been placed there with this very purpose in mind. "Medli, are you in? I've got somewhere here to see you," he called into the room, which, now that my eyes had adjusted to the dim light, was actually a lounge sort of area. There were some doors leading off it, presumably to other rooms.

"I'll be right out Quill, hang on a tick," a girl called back…she sounded a lot younger than I'd bargained for.

"Well, hurry up, we don't have all day," I looked up at him for that phrase, and he stuck his tongue out. Very odd behaviour for an adult, but it made me smile all the same.

"Yeah, yeah. You probably have some important mission to save the world or something daft like that I'll warrant. Just let me get dressed, unless you and your friend wish to see me in nought but a towel." I flushed brightly at this, and looked away from the room just in case that threat might be carried out. Quill, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, just hurry up about it." Not more than two minutes later, a girl stumbled out of one of the side rooms, pulling a lot of red hair back into a ponytail that cascaded down her back to her waist. She was wearing a green dress, over which was a red pinafore with a funny symbol I'd seen all over the place since I'd arrived on the island – it was like three crescent moons put together to make a circle shape, only the points of the crescents faced outwards. "Finally!" Quill said, standing up straight from where he'd been leaning on the door-frame.

"You know, you ought to show me a bit more respect, you know that. Remember that I am the future attendant of Valoo, after all!" she said all this to Quill, and then looked at me. I swear I saw her blush, and then she looked back at Quill. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your charming friend." Quill made a gesture to Medli that I didn't quite catch, but I suspect it was something embarrassing. Why do adults always assume that any boy and girl who meet each other will end up falling in love and getting married? It's odd…

"Oh yeah – oops, sorry. Medli, this is Rufus, Rufus, this is Medli. And I'm off," he rushed off, without a goodbye, and Medli gave him an odd look.

"He's weird," she commented, nodding a head to Quill.

"Yeah…I was beginning to notice that," I agreed.

"So, you're Rufus then?" she said, by way of starting the conversation.

"Yup, that's me," I replied, feeling somewhat awkward. :Why is it I can talk to Tetra, the most infuriating girl I've ever met, and then, when I find a girl who seems pretty civil, I can't think of anything good to say: Whilst I pondered this terrible mystery of life, Medli invited me in, and I sat down on one of the chairs in the living room.

"Would you like some tea or something?" she asked, bustling around and starting off towards another of the doors. "I've already got some water on to boil."

"Um, actually, I was sent here to get something from the chieftain to give to prince Komali," I said apologetically. She didn't seem to take it badly at all however, because she stopped dead, and laughed,

"Oh yeah – how dumb of me! What was I thinking? Here you are," she picked up a letter from the coffee table that lay in the middle of the four chairs in the room. "This is what he wants Komali to get. Do you know where to find him?"

"To be honest, nope," I answered with a hopeless shrug, accepting the letter from her.

"Oh, dear…well, I can't really take you – I need to get back to work. I can give you a quick map though." She produced pencil and paper from Gods only know where, and drew up a little sketch map in under ten seconds. "This is on the first floor. That's Komali's room right there," she put a dot on it. "Think you can find it?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can – thanks. And thanks for the offer of tea as well."

"That's OK." I stood up, and scrutinised the map a little more. "Oh… I think I should warn you that Prince Komali might not be in the best of moods…please don't get offended by his manner. He has no bad intentions at all, he's just a little upset right now, what with Valoo and everything…" she bit her lip, and her face was set in fond repose. :Do I detect a crush: I thought, and was surprised at just how sweet I found the idea. "Oh, and another thing…Rufus…urm…I have a small favour I'd like to ask of you, if I may?"

"Of course you can – what is it?"

"Well…could you come to the entrance of Dragon Roost cavern, after you've seen Prince Komali. I'll wait there for you…then I can explain everything." I was taken aback by this mysterious turn of affairs, but, I had already semi-promised to help.

"Yeah, I'll be there, of course I will!" I assured her, and she smiled. "Uh – do you want to boot me out then?"

"Yeah, probably better," she answered with a dainty laugh. "If you get lost, just ask one of the guards down there to help you out. They're pretty friendly guys – don't let their scary looks fool you, they're lovely."

"Oh – OK. Thanks for the advice – and the map."

"No problem; bye."

"Bye." I left the room, and then turned to look down the slope. :Eurgh. Two whole revolutions the other way.: I could feel the dizziness just waiting to return, even just looking at the pathway.

* * *

The guard standing outside the corridor that led to Prince Komali's room was very big. Whilst he still had the 'gentle' look that all the Rito seemed to have about them, he was also _very _big. And when you're my size, very big equates to being very scary. I approached carefully, and was nearly shocked out of my skin when he asked, in a great, booming voice, "Are you Rufus?"

"Y-yeah, that's me," I stammered.

"Go on through," he said, bowing, and moving out of the way of the corridor. "It's the last door at the end – you can't miss it."

"T-thanks." I walked past him, and berated myself for sounding like such a fool. All that talk about me being courageous, and I get scared by someone really tall. :Well, at least my life is unpredictable enough that it doesn't ever get dull…: I thought, walking down a passageway filled with portraits on all the walls. I looked at a few as I passed, and figured that they must be the pictures of the Royal Family of the Rito – one in particular caught my eye.

It was a tall Rito woman, with a face that was filled with joy, rather than solemnity like all the other portraits. She was depicted sitting down, with her feathered right (my right, not hers) on the head of a red lizard like thing. I then realised that it must be Valoo, because the background was also predominantly red, and scaled. :Wow…that's a _big_ dragon.:

I tore my eyes away from the painting, and carried on down the hall until I reached the end. I rapped on the door, and received a muffled, "Whoever it is, go away!" I'd been expecting something like that, so I went in anyway. The room was dim, without even a torch burning to bring light to it. There was a large canopy bed against the back wall, slightly to the right of the door – the curtains to this were almost fully drawn, and I could see a figure clad in white slumped across the covers, rolling a glowing ball around on their stomach. "Hey, I thought I told you to go away!"

The white clad figure sat up, and the glowing ball highlighted the crown – so this was Prince Komali. He looked outraged, and discarded the ball as he shuffled forwards to glare at me. "What do you want, anyway?" he asked, tired but vehement.

"Oh…well, your father wanted me to give you this," I extended a hand with the letter, and he snatched it. I grabbed my hand back protectively, and watched in wonderment as he read it through quickly, and his face dropped in disgust.

"Pah, sure father, telling me to be brave. It's not like he still has to get a scale from Valoo, who seems to have gone berserk!" It seemed Komali might have done the same, since he was ranting whilst I was still in the room. However, he looked up, and I was included in the next part, "He mentions you as well – you're Rufus, aren't you? 'Wonderful Rufus', 'Brave Rufus', it's all I've heard for days now!" I was taken aback by his anger, and wondered if I shouldn't leave…

:But you did make a promise.: I stopped edging away and stood my ground.

"What do you get from poking your noses into other people's business? You're awfully nosey, aren't you? Sorry, but, you know what, tell my father I really don't feel like seeing Valoo right now. I'm happy not being burnt to a cinder or eaten or something because the guardian's angry."

"Well, maybe there's something bothering Valoo that needs to be fixed," I offered, attempting to calm him down. The attempt failed.

"Oh, and I bet you're just the one to fix it, aren't you?"

"I never said-"

"You're just a big, fat show off, that's what you are. But, I'll tell you what. If you can find me someone who can get through all the obstacles between here and get to Valoo…then I'll listen to whatever rubbish you want to say. Now, get out of my sight, now!"

"Thank you very much for your time," I said in an acid parody of politeness. "Perhaps next time you could try to be even ruder perhaps?" And I walked out, fuming at the impossible nature of the boy – I had barely been able to get a word in, and he'd insulted me even though he knew nothing about me! The rudeness of it all made my blood boil!

I stormed back up the corridor, and hurried up the steps to the main hall of the entrance to the city. The guard stepped out of my way, and looked kindly down at me, "Prince Komali being difficult?"

"Difficult? He was down right rude," I answered, perhaps more heatedly than I meant to. "Sorry…didn't mean to snap. I'm just a bit…annoyed."

"It's understandable. It seems as though the Prince and Valoo have both been acting oddly lately. We were hoping you might knock some sense into him actually," he winked roguishly, "but it seems you're far too polite for that."

"Well, after that," I cast an eye at the corridor, "I might well reconsider!" he laughed, and I waved as I hurried off to meet Medli…wherever she was. "Hey, urm, do you know how I can get to Dragon Roost Cavern?"

"Oh, sure thing. Just go through that cavern there, and it's the last exit you come to on the left."

"Last exit on the left – right, got it. Thanks!" now knowing where I had to go, I went quickly, hoping that Medli was already there, and that I wouldn't do anything rash because I was so annoyed. I took steadying breaths as I walked, and even managed to make my fists uncurl and hang normally at my sides as I went along. :That shouldn't have made me quite so angry…: I told myself, but it didn't help. Being bought up to believe that any form of rudeness was wrong, it was an overload for me…

* * *

When Medli saw me walking towards the Dragon Roost Cavern, she seemed overjoyed. "Hey, you actually came! Thank you so much. I'm really sorry for bringing you here – it's probably a bit dangerous to ask people here on a whim, but I wouldn't have asked if I didn't need help desperately, I assure you of that. You see this place?" she gestured to a patch of ground below that was formed of dry and cracked earth, and a stone that rested in a pool of shallow water. "There used to be a spring here, surrounded by a really beautiful pond…

"It was just so lovely… But then the great Valoo, when he became angry, shook the mountain and this boulder came crashing down and plugged the spring – and you can see the result," I made a sound of assent in the back of my throat. I sure could. "Oh, bother, what am I on about? I should have asked you this first thing – how was Prince Komali?"

I pulled a face, which seemed to tell half of the story itself. "He was…a little hostile, and quite rude to be honest. Told me to go away and leave him alone several times. And not so succinctly as that."

"Oh dear…I'm afraid I may be partially at fault for that."

"How so? You weren't the one making him say rude things," I said, sure that this sweet looking girl couldn't possibly be at fault on this matter.

"No, its not that; well, you see – Prince Komali's grandmother (bless her soul) was the great Valoo's attendant. She was an amazing woman – completely amazing, and an absolute genius. I was so honoured to have her as my teacher, for she was kind and unsurpassed by any attendant in her bravery and grasp of Valoo's language. I'm not fit even to be mentioned in the same breath as her," she looked at the floor dejectedly, "If only I had the same strength as her, I'm sure the Prince would have felt more secure…" I was shocked that she would blame this on herself.

"What are you talking about?" she looked up, startled. "You're the same age as him – you can't treat him like he was a child, and look after him. He should be able to look after himself, and you certainly shouldn't be blaming the fact that he's just scared of Valoo, and won't admit that fact, on yourself. Even I'll admit, I find this Valoo quite scary the way he is now." She tittered slightly, but still had a desperate look on her face.

"Now, what was it you really wanted to say? You said you needed help with something," I prompted after a few seconds' silence.

"Oh, well. I need to get to the peak of Dragon Roost you see. There's a small shrine there that I must visit to try and remedy the situation."

"Isn't that a little dangerous?"

"The chieftain says its OK." Her eyes flickered away from me however, so I knew she was lying.

"No he doesn't!"

"Yes he does," she answered, petulant and indignant at the same time.

"No he doesn't," I said again. "Don't worry, I won't snitch on you, but only if you promise you won't approach Valoo. I don't want you getting hurt because I helped you on your way."

"It's a deal." We even shook hands. "Anyway, I just need a bit of a boost so that I can get to the other side over there." She pointed to the other end of the bridge, which had broken in the middle and was uncrossable.

"A boost?"

"Yeah…my wings aren't very strong yet because I've only had them for a little while. So, I could really use a boost to get me all the way over there." She looked at me with wide, chocolaty eyes. "Will you help me?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thank you!" she squealed, and I feared she was going to hug me – thankfully, she just spun me around instead, and clapped her hands together. I ended up feeling a little dizzy, and had to lean against the wall for a minute to stop the world from whirling strangely in front of my eyes. "Look, if you just lift me onto your shoulders, I'll be able to do the rest of the work just fine."

"Are you sure you're all right to do this? Do you promise you won't get hurt?"

"Of course I promise!" she answered, as though it was completely obvious. "Now, let me up will you." I bent my knees so that she could put her arms around my neck, and then grabbed her legs and lifted her off of the floor – she was pretty light, and it was easy to carry her over to the broken end of the bridge. There, I stopped, and after a bit of shuffling, Medli had managed to balance herself, standing up, on my shoulders. I kept hold of her legs to make sure she didn't fall off.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, her shoes digging into my shoulders. I may have been quite strong, and she may have been quite light for her size, but she was still heavy enough for this to start to hurt after a minute.

"The wind needs to blow right…" she fell silent, and I wobbled slightly. Then, suddenly, she hissed, "Let go." I did, and she pushed down hard on shoulders (causing them to scream in annoyance and pain) and launched into the air. Her wings expanded from her arms, and she flapped quickly to keep airborne. She reached the other side, and made a rather 'Quill-esque' landing. Then, she turned around, and waved at me with a big grin. "Thanks Rufus! I owe you!"

"No problem. Good luck and be careful!" I hollered back. She just smiled again, and then disappeared through a stone corridor sided by high cliffs. I shook my head, and then turned around to go back to the city. :Speak of the devil: I thought, as Quill exploded out onto the platform I was on. When he saw me, he rushed over, and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Thank the Gods!" he spluttered. "I thought you might have gone off into the cavern! One of the guards told us you were coming here, and I feared that your bravery may have overcome your common sense!" I gulped when I heard those words, and he looked at me. "What is it? What's happened."

"Medli…she…got me to help her get over…there," I pointed, and it dawned on me why she'd asked me to help. Because I didn't know that she wasn't meant to go in there…until now.

"What?" Quill exploded (thankfully, angry at her and not me.) "Not this again! She always has to play at being Hero – blasted girl. Rufus," he grabbed my arm and pulled me along behind him, "come with me. We need to see the chieftain immediately, and see about getting Medli out of the-"

"No Quill." Red's voice cut through the air, surprising us both.

"King of Red Lions?" Quill looked around confused. I just took out the stone, and Quill seemed to realise what was going on, and looked at it too.

"Yes, it's me. Quill, you must take Rufus to the Cavern – Rufus, this is it. Your first chance to prove your worth to the Gods – and you must discover what is enraging Valoo, or the Rito shall be in terrible trouble. Also, you must help that girl Medli, and see that she gets into no trouble." I thought I'd be scared by the thought of going into the cavern…but, in truth, I was more afraid of what might happen to Medli if I didn't.

"My Lord, are you sure this is wise? He's still only very young, after all!"

"It's the way it has to be done, Quill. You have always known this! Do not try to meddle with fate, and tell your dear leader the same. Rufus, are you ready? Have you need for anything else in your quest?"

"No," I answered, in a voice so small I'm surprised he heard it.

"Good. I believe you must go at once. Quill, please, take him to the Cavern entrance, drop him there, and then you must leave him. No heroics on your part either, all right old friend?"

"All right… Bu-" Red was already gone though. Quill looked at me with uncertainty and sighed. "I always knew there'd be danger when it came to your time…but I never thought it would be so close to home. I just hope Medli won't get herself into too much trouble before you can find her."

"Same here."

"Well…ah, climb on, and I'll give you a lift. Hope you're ready for a bumpy ride."

"Would it really make difference if I wasn't?" I asked shrewdly, and he gave a wan smile.

"Most likely not."

"I thought as much." Quill stooped down, and in a roll reversal of earlier, I hook my arms around his neck, and he then grabbed my legs and lifted me up.

"You'd best be ready to hold on tight, because I can't keep hold of your feet whilst we fly."

"I will."

"Oh, and try not to strangle you."

"OK – I won't strangle you too hard," I said, teasing him again. He jogged me deliberately, and laughed.

"Here we go."

* * *

_GAH! Complete utter horrible evil crap – I promised action, but then I reached page 16 at half past one, and realised with a start I hadn't put any in yet. And I'd already written a chapter's worth. This does mean, however, that the next Rufus chapter can be **all** action and little else. So there's a bonus in the gloom I suppose._

_Oh, and sorry this arrived early Friday morning (prob around two after spell checking and uploading) as opposed to Thursday. Due to an oversight, I didn't start writing this until nine thirty you see…and then I kept getting distracted by pretty music and the YLA. :Waves at H7: yay! _

_Thanks for any reviewage – Soda _

_PS: 9386 words…whoa… _


	8. Shadow: Broken Preconceptions

The hero, the broken, the saviour

_Last chapter, we saw Rufus turning into an almost fangirl of Quill (luckily, the muses interceded and reminded me that Rufus is only thirteen, and this is not meant to be a slash fic…) Well, he helped Medli to reach the Cavern, and then realised that that wasn't really the right thing to do after all…silly boy! However, it's now time to see just what Shadow was doing whilst she awaited further instructions from The King of Red Lions about her mission. _

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

* * *

_**Shadow: Broken preconceptions**_

I eyed Marie cautiously from my place by the rudder – we'd been heading due east since the previous evening, and I could just about make out Red cresting a large wave about two miles ahead of us. The sea was calm enough that I was happy to leave the sail in Marie's expert care, whilst I just nudged the rudder every now and then to keep us on course.

The boat ('Flo') was much larger than the King of Red Lions, and reminded me of my own fishing schooner back at Opacus Isle. :I wonder whether the fish we salted are ready for storage yet: I thought, and almost smiled at the mundane musings. Here I was, on the adventure of a lifetime, and all I could think of was home…though…I did miss it terribly. I'd only been gone a few days, but already, I could hardly wait to see it again:Just listen to yourself, you do realise you sound stupid, don't you: Well, I probably did…but I didn't care much anyway.

Marie hopped down from her perch on top of the cabin (which lay in the exact centre of the deck, leaving four feet at either end for the stern and prow). She collapsed her telescope in her hands, and without even a glance at me, went into the cabin. The door slammed shut behind her in the wind, and the sound echoed across the dark waves. Without her in sight, you would have thought I'd be able to relax…but, no. Now I was even more alert – for, though I knew she wasn't my enemy, she still made me uneasy. The way she'd kicked that man when he was down… :And she is a pirate after all. Are you really so surprised:

To my chagrin, the fact that she'd kicked a man when he was _down_ still bothered me a lot, and I shuffled uncomfortably in my place by the rudder, wondering what she was doing below-deck in the cabin. Of course, not being able to see her only set of dozens of rather unlikely sets of events in my head, and I had to stifle a laugh at myself. I was getting panicky about a woman who hadn't been able to take on four slow and definitely stupid burly Hylian men:Get a grip: I told myself, nudging the rudder to the left slightly so that the flapping sail once again cracked as it filled with the wind.

Night had closed in fast as we sped away from the isle, and there was a heavy mist descending over the calm sea. It was weighty enough to glaze my bodysuit with small droplets of water, and my bare hands shook slightly as I left my post in order to go to the prow. I was going to see if we were still managing to keep up with Rufus, as the mist would slow down our vessel since it was much larger than Red.

I had just placed my foot into the first rung of the ladder that would take me to the top of the cabin, which I would then walk across and then climb down on the other side, when the door to the cabin burst open. Marie didn't see me at the rudder, and yelled out for me, "Hey, Sheikah!" I dropped off of the ladder, and she started, obviously not having noticed me standing there. I backed up a couple of steps so that I didn't have to crane my neck quite so much to look at her; she seemed a lot taller in these confined quarters.

"What is it?" I asked, crossing my arms casually, though I was really trying to warm myself up. :Gods, it's cold…: I noticed that she was holding a chart of some kind in her hands.

"We need to get past Pawprint Isle as quickly as possible… I didn't realise what stage the moon-phase was in, I was so eager to get away…" this second part she said more to herself than me. "Here, help me tip a few things over the side, and then take up an oar with me." She darted back into the cabin, and, thoroughly confused, I followed her. :Pawprint Isle's still a good few miles away – over the horizon at least:

"Marie," I had to talk loudly over the noise she was creating, as she gathered up pans from the galley. "Marie!" I said again, even more loudly, then swallowing to get rid of the pain in my throat from all this shouting I'd been doing recently – it was ruining my voice, that was for sure. "What by the Gods are you on about?" She dropped all the pans, and then strode over to the small bench-bed that was to the prow end of the cabin. There, she picked up the same chart I'd seen earlier, and she thrust it at me.

I opened it, and looked down to see a mass of Hylian that I could barely interpret. Not just because of my less than perfect grasp of the written language, but also because the writing was so messy and faded. This didn't matter though, because the pictorial evidence was enough for me to fathom just what had Marie so worried. :And here I thought she had some common sense: I thought scornfully. The chart showed the moon phases around the edge, from crescent to full to new moon. Each of the phases had a small red arrow drawn from it towards a particular island. And, on each of the indicated islands was a small, ghostly looking ship.

"You're worried about the old legend of a ghost-ship?" I asked, managing to keep the incredulity in my voice to a Sheikah minimum. I dropped the chart onto the fold down table, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Legend?" she repeated, her one eye narrowing slightly. "Trust me, _child,"_ the emphasis on the word 'child' greatly annoyed me, "I've seen a lot more of the sea than you have. And I _know_ that ghost ship, and I know what it does to the sailors that get too close!" She snapped her fingers. "Gone – just like that. And then, a few days later, their corpses wash up on the beach of the nearest island."

"Rubbish," I said, waving away her ridiculous story. "If you're just trying to scare me, you'll have to do better than that. And, well, if you really believe-"

"It's no story!" she interjected defiantly. "I don't care if you don't wish to believe me, but I do care about my own safety. So, either help me get rid of this stuff, or I guess I'll have to do it myself, and then it'll take twice as long. And…" she cracked her knuckles menacingly "I'd have to make sure you didn't interfere of course…" She walked towards me, and I backed into the door to out on deck. It was closed, and I slowly bought my left hand up to the handle, making sure that she didn't notice what I was doing.

"So, girl, what'll it be?" she asked, now grinning in a way I most definitely didn't like. :Surely all Hylians can't be quite this mad: I thought, not daring to roll my eyes in disbelief, because I didn't trust this woman enough to let her out of my sight for a second. :Don't you just hate the fact that your intuition's always right: "Well?" she prompted, thumping both hands onto the wood either side of my head, effectively trapping me, and glaring down at me with that one, startlingly green eye. I could see the fear there – the fear of this legend – and it was obviously the fear that was driving her to this.

However, there was no time to analyse this – I fumbled around in my mind for something to say. "Well, I suppose I could help you out a little," as I fumbled for words, I also fumbled with the door handle, twisting it. "I'm just, not sure if-" I threw myself backwards on the door, which burst open – I tumbled out on deck, and Marie, not having expected it, fell flat on her face, her arms immediately latching around my legs.

"Look, I don't want to have to hurt you, you know!" she said, literally climbing up my prone body. It was easy enough to kick her off, and then I rolled over and was on my feet before she had time to recover. She too rolled over, and looked up at me with angered fire in her eye. "Why you-!" she started, and then cut herself off when I put one foot on her chest, forcing her to stay lying down.

"There is no way I'm going to throw valuable supplies for _my_ mission overboard because of some superstition," I told her calmly. "Just remember the only reason you're here is because you've gotten yourself into trouble, which, may I remind you, I helped you get out of." I took my foot off her chest, and backed away. "You know how I fight – now, are you going to be sensible about this?"

I knew what she was going to do even before she probably knew she was going to do it herself. I sidestepped, and she flew headfirst into the siding of the boat – she fell backwards, clutching her head and groaned. "I guess you saw that coming, huh?" she grumbled, rubbing her understandably sore head. :I don't want to have to hurt her, but I can't allow this to jeopardise Red's quest.:

"Yes," I nodded, extending a hand to help her up. She lunged at me once more, but I used her own momentum against her, and slammed her easily into the side of the cabin. "Would you stop that? I really don't want to knock you out, but I will if you carry on like this!" I warned her, letting go of the arm I'd used to swing her around. :Why won't she get the message: I sighed internally, as she peeled herself from the wood, and glowered at me through the strands of hair obscuring her face. She released a huge breath of air, sending them flying away from her face, and then swept them completely away with her left hand.

"Look, you don't seem to understand plain Hylian, so why don't I try a little Sheikah and see if you understand that better!" And then, to my surprise, she launched into my own language. The accent was terrible, but it was still recognisable as Sheikah :just makes me wonder how bad my accent must be…:

"This ghost ship is real. Landlubbers like you wouldn't have seen it because you haven't been on the sea long enough. But, I have, and I've lost men to this thing – not to mention a whole ship of my own being sunk by its cannonballs. And, much as I loathe to admit it, I think Red is right about his little prophecies for once; I met that kid he's culturing to be a new hero, and he didn't seem to know which way was up from the look of him. So, it would be best if you were around to help him…but, if this ship gets you, then there's no chance of that, is there?"

She stopped, and coughed slightly, her throat obviously not used the more…I'm not sure how to describe my own language really…when you've spoken something all your life, you take that sound for granted… But, I suppose, not used to the much softer, more hissing sound of our language, compared to the deep, guttural sounds of Hylian (just as difficult for me to produce as it was for her to produce Sheikah.) "So, you see," she concluded, speaking Hylian again, "I'm not just thinking of myself here. I'm thinking of Red and his little quest as well!"

"So, you're asking me to believe in something that has nothing to prove its existence, apart from a few sailors, all of whom are generally too inebriated to notice anything anyway?" I crossed my arms again, knowing that she'd still be too dizzy after our little scuffle to come at me again. She looked almost as if I had slapped her with those words.

"Why can't you understand? I have lost crew to this thing – good men, not the drunkards you'd imply all seafarers to be. I don't know what you understand by the term 'pirate', but it's certainly different to my interpretation. I believe the drunken idiots you refer to are 'bucaneers', not 'pirates' – there _is_ a difference you know!" The hurt in her voice was astonishing, and I uncrossed my arms, stunned by the change in her attitude. Her eye glimmered in the soft light created by the moonlight reflecting from the mist. "Just because you haven't seen something, doesn't mean it isn't real – take the Gods for instance. They don't seem to be very interested in showing themselves to us, do they?"

:Well, actually…: I didn't mention the fact that I'd met Zephos out loud, because I knew she probably wouldn't believe me. :Well, then why don't you believe her: That was a good question. "…Maybe…maybe I've been a little hasty," I said timidly. She blinked her eye at me, and looked perplexed. "Look – how about this? We don't lose the supplies, but when it gets to it, I'll help you row; does that sound like a good deal?"

She didn't answer for a few seconds, merely stared at me. Rather, past me… A chill ran up my spine, and I turned around slowly, hand going straight for my whip… The mist was especially thick, and swirled like a Hylian girl's skirt as I span, the milky white tendrils clinging to me like some sort of sanctuary from the cruel wind, trying to hurry it along.

A shadowy bulk hovered above the water, not more than ten yards astern. For one, terrible second, I wondered whether that chart had it's information wrong, and the ship was really here instead. But, then, the thing moved, and I glimpsed glossy black feathers, a cruel orange beak, and acid-green tail feathers. :A kargorok…and it's a big one.: It was keeping up with us easily. Marie let out a sound of terror; something I'd not expected from a pirate, but, it had been a night of revelations already!

The monster eyed me, a dark intelligence taking in my battle stance, and also Marie, who I could sense was still standing behind me, perhaps paralysed by fear. Or perhaps still too dizzy to move… Either way, the thing seemed more interested in her than in me. "Marie," I whispered, trusting the friendly wind to carry my voice to her. "Marie, get below – go slowly." The kargorok's used movement to track their prey, so, if she just went slowly enough…

The telltale patter of running feet drew my attention, and I ducked as the kargorok sped up and dive-bombed the boat. Marie screamed, and I turned around to see her protecting her face with her arms. The beast was slashing at her with its cruel talons, which gave me an idea. With my free hand, I delved into my needle bag, and stepped back a couple of paces, so that I stood next to the rudder.

Once there, I checked to make sure that Marie was standing close enough to the cabin door – to my luck, she was still right in front of it, trying to open it. I kicked the rudder, which turned the boat sharply so that we were sailing sideways. Years of training helped me keep my balance (but only just!) The bird was clipped by the boom as the sail swept around to carry on catching the wind, and it wheeled away from the boat. I was ready when it made to dive again, and threw the needles directly into its face.

They exploded on impact, and the thing shrieked as the tiny barbs all over my weapons pierced its eyes. With a last squawk, it fell with a resounding splash into the sea. The mist closed up over the ripples, so that you couldn't even see where it had fallen. :Marie: I hurried from the side to where the pirate woman lay, emerald hair splayed over the deck. "Marie, are you all right?" I turned her onto her side (the recovery position), and checked if she was still breathing.

Luckily, she was, and only seemed to have been knocked out. :That must have been when you threw the boat off.: That reminded me, and I went back, and after a bit of struggling against the water, I pulled the rudder back so that it was straight, and we sped forwards at top speed once more. Then, I returned to the prone Hylian, and wondered what to do with her. :Well, I can't leave her out here, she'll freeze:

Resigning myself to the fact that this was going to be a very, very long night, I grabbed her under the arms, and proceeded to drag her into the cabin. There, I tended to the deep gouges the kargorok had left on her arms, and then placed her into the bench-bed. I pulled the covers over her, and then exited the cabin, first relieving her of the telescope so that I could keep a watch.

So, now, I had the wondrous jobs of keeping watch, steering, and making sure the sail was always full with wind. :Isn't it a good job that I can multitask: I thought with some annoyance. Fighting back a yawn, I sat back down in my place by the rudder. The talk of the ghost ship, coupled by that attack had be distinctly rattled, and it was not something I liked to be, out in the open sea, in the middle of the night, with my companion unconscious. :Why is it always me:

I scuffed my shoes along the deck, but stopped because that would prevent me from hearing something approach. So, I sat still, listening only to the splashing of water, and the occasional loud crack as a large gust of wind entered the sail. I went over many of my old relaxation mantras, in order to calm myself down, and then started to plan through the next few days. Of course, as most of the plans entailed 'do what Red tells you to do' I didn't get very far with this.

Which left me with two trains of thought to choose from. The first was to think about how much I was missing my comfortable bed right now (which would most likely send me to sleep, and as such, wasn't a good choice.) Or, I could think about the ghost ship – which would keep me wide-awake, but would also spook me. As there were only these two choices, I took the latter. :What do I do if I need to row this thing, but Marie's still out cold? What if we're attacked – would I be able to support her weight and get us to shore before we drown or get attacked again: There were so many terrible scenarios in my head…

At least it drove away my feelings of exhaustion. Which was a small bonus within the generally bad bundle of things that had happened in the last four days. I'd had to leave the home I'd known all my life, I'd argued with royalty, I'd fought with three Hylian men and a pirate woman, had been attacked by various monsters, and now, I was scared by a legend of a ghost hip which might not actually be a legend after all.

:Just wonderful. And, on top of that, I appear to be turning into a Hylian as the days wear on. I want a Sheikah here to keep me sane.: But, that wasn't likely to happen, so I'd need to try and contain myself and act properly. It wasn't going to be easy… Especially with the way some Hylians had treated me – jabbing right at the places that are most sensitive and being downright rude! I'd never have had to combat that at home!

:Oh Gods…does this make me a failure? After all my years of training, I can't even cope with this small change? …I shouldn't even have been having that induction ceremony, if this is how I handle my duties: Realising just what a failure of a Sheikah I'd become, I unravelled the bandages around my index and ring fingers of each hand, and threw them over the side. :What's the point of wearing the warrior symbol if I can't even act like one: I yelled at myself, and then slumped back down by the rudder.

My state of apathy meant that I no longer bothered to think of anything other than my inadequacies… A yawn escaped me, and then another, followed quickly by yet another. I closed my eyes, and then snapped them open. "No!" I growled aloud. :If you can't be a Sheikah, the least you can do is keep watch properly: I resettled myself so that I was less comfortable, kneeling on the hard wood of the deck, and leaning on the rudder so that it dug into my side. :You're going to stay awake whether you like it or not:

"Shadow…Shadow, what are you doing? Where are you?" Red's voice whispered in panic, and I groaned, opening my eyes to see wooden decking extending around me on all sides. I felt freezing cold, and when I raked my hair from my eyes, rivulets of icy water ran down my hands. And, suddenly, I remembered. I remembered everything. :I wasn't supposed to fall asleep: And, I couldn't even tell how long I'd been asleep for, because the moon was completely obscured by cloud. "Shadow, please, for the love of the Gods, answer me!"

I awkwardly removed the green stone from my pocket, and laid it on the deck in front of me, too cold and stiff to try and move. "I'm here, what is it?" I asked, not even bothering to hide the tired yawn in my voice.

"Shh, not so loud!" he hissed back. "Whatever you do, don't move from where you are. Stay right there, and let the boat take you where it will."

"W-why?" I asked, teeth chattering.

"The ghost ship visits these parts," he said, so low that I nearly missed it. "Where's Marie, is she safe? They'll recognise her if they see her…they've been after her for years now…is she down below?"

"Yes, but-"

"There's no time for questions…just stay quiet, and stay still until I tell you otherwise, understand?"

"Yes, I understand, but-" He was gone before I could finish. I heeded his orders, and stayed still, my cheek pressed to the damp wood, and my arm bent awkwardly to make a cushion for my head. The side against the boat ached, and the mist and the wind chilled the side away from it. I glared at the now-dull stone, and cursed my luck. A sea gull called high above, and was answered by another. I listened to their calls, being calmed slightly to know that this silence of the sea wasn't as endless as I'd feared.

Though…suddenly…

They stopped.

I strained my ears, yet, try as I might, I couldn't hear them any more. :What happened: In my heart of hearts, however, I knew what was happening. Animals have a sixth sense even more acute than Sheikah…and those gulls had sensed the ghost ship, seconds before the chills began to intensify all over me. Against Red's orders, I slowly, ever so slowly, crawled along deck, always flat to the floor, until I was at the side of the boat. There, I lifted myself up, so that I peered over the edge.

I bit my lip to contain my gasp of both horror and wonderment. There it was – the ghost-ship of many a midnight horror story told after the lights went out in the bunkhouse. It was as people had said it would be… The sails were of bright white cloth, ripped and ravaged by its time on the sea – the keel was marked all over with the scars of attacks whilst the ship still lived. The mermaid prow had lost her beautiful pearl eyes, and stared ahead now with empty sockets, seeking, ever seeking.

I blinked, and suddenly, a vision overtook me. Just as I returned my gaze to those haunting empty sockets, a lantern caught my eye, and I looked directly to it. It bobbed enticingly over the side, but I couldn't see who held it. "Marie, Marie, where are you my dear? Where are you, where are you, Marie, Marie?" they sang, softly, sweetly.

_Marie stood at the helm of a great ship – she laughed at an anecdote one of the crew relayed to her, and then swept up a hat from where it had rested upon the spokes of the wheel. This she placed on her head, which shielded both of her vibrant, alive eyes, from the glaring moonlight. Gulls called above, and dolphins splashed below in the wake of the ship. Marie signalled that lanterns be lit._

_"Right, off to bed with you lads, and send up the next watch!" she called when this task was done. The men traipsed off to bed, a cacophony of heavy Hylian footsteps thudding on the wood. Marie was alone on deck, and threw her head back (holding onto the hat) to take in a great lungful of sea air. It was quiet…too quiet… Not a cry from the gulls, not a splash from the dolphins. She scoured the waves, lest there be a storm brewing, but, no, the water was calm._

_"Marie, Marie, where are you my dear? Where are you, where are you, Marie, Marie?" a soft voice sang, lilting and sweet. She whipped around, hat flying off and skidding across the deck. Her eyes widened, and suddenly, I could see the ghost-ship again, this time following behind Marie and her ship. "Marie, Marie my dear, hello, hello. Hello, hello, I have been looking for you Marie. Marie, Marie, my dearest Marie." The lantern swung in the person's hand._

_And suddenly, I could see them in all their terrible clarity, for they held the lantern up to their own face. Marie screamed, and I winced, for the scream was in my ear. "Marie, Marie, don't be afraid. We've come to take you away. Oh Marie, Marie, don't you remember? Don't you remember your daddy, Marie?"_

_"You…you're not…" Marie said weakly, shuffling towards the alarm bell. "Don't even imply that…you…you monster!"_

_"Now, now Marie my dear, don't be so hasty. Just come to us my dear, and we'll let your crew go… Though they do look tasty!" the skeletal man ended, his grin a grimace of grey teeth and black muscle. "We miss you Marie my dear, miss you we do. Come, come to us Marie, Marie, we have been looking for you, looking for you. Been looking for you." Marie grabbed the clapper of the bell, and threw it against the metal side. The grimacing grin fell from his face, and he frowned. "You shouldn't have done that."_

When I next came to, we had left the ship far behind us, our speed superior because of our smaller size. I shuddered, and slid back down to lean against the side of the ship. :Oh Gods…now I know quite why she was so…vociferous in her argument.: I shuddered as I remembered those dead eyes; that grimace of a smile… Marie's young face – for she was still young then, both eyes intact, hair completely green – filled with a horror and loathing only reserved for your worst enemy.

:And yet…her father: I was startled to find that I was crying, and shaking too, almost uncontrollably so. To my surprise, Marie pushed the cabin door open just a crack a few seconds later, and popped her head through to look at me. She beckoned me with a finger, and I crawled along the floor to her, too shaken to even attempt standing at the moment. :Oh Gods, I think I'm going to…: I dragged myself as quickly as possible back to the side, and was (thankfully, quite quietly) sick.

Marie was there, rubbing me on the back, and she helped me back into the cabin, also keeping low to the deck. When we were inside, she put me in the same bed I'd placed her in earlier, and tucked the blankets over me. It didn't stem the shaking though, and what she did next really surprised me. She sat down on the side of the bed, and hugged me, almost like a mother would. Not that she was old enough to be my mother, at not much more than thirty or so. "Shh, I know, I know. It's not a pretty sight to see," she whispered comfortingly.

I didn't feel all that comfortable at this outburst of raw emotion, but, I could tell that she was taking comfort from comforting me, so I allowed it to continue. :It's not like I've been sticking to any of the other rules anyway, is it: I said snidely to myself.

Marie let go about five minutes later, and held me at arms length, surveying me. "You know, don't you?" she asked finally, probably taking in the look of sympathy no doubt in my eyes. I nodded,

"Your father…" I said simply. Her lip wobbled, but she managed to correct it.

"Not my father – only a monster who used to be him. Now he's nothing to do with me, but he won't accept that… Now do you understand why I wanted to get through here as quickly as possible?" I nodded again. "How…how did you know? Did he call for me?" she asked, now shaking almost as much as I was.

"Yeah, he did," I said…I thought about telling her about the vision, and then wondered if it was wise. However, before my brain had caught up from the shock I'd just had, I'd already started asking her about it. When I'd done explaining what I'd seen, her shaking had stopped, and she was looking at me in astonishment.

"You saw all of that?" she asked, rubbing a hand on her forehead to relieve the stress. I nodded, becoming mute again as I concentrated on getting the feeling back into my hands. "Oh Gods… That was…eight years ago now…" she said mistily. "That's what started turning my hair white – luckily, it stopped after these bits," she tugged on her bangs.

"I…I'm not sure what to say," I admitted, staring at the opposite wall.

"Don't worry, you don't have to say anything. Look, in about an hour, I'll go back outside, and I'll keep watch until we reach Dragon Roost, all right?"

"No, it's fine, I'll do that," I told her, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah…right…" she said, looking at me with an amused smile. "You're not in a fit state to do that – you need to get some rest, especially as someone who's still growing!"

"No, I'll be fine, really!" I protested, even as I snuggled underneath the thick coverlet. It was so warm, so cosy…and… :Stop falling asleep: I sat bolt upright, and Marie managed a small laugh.

"It's all right. I've already had my sleep, thanks to that little manoeuvre of yours earlier…thank you for that by the way…I'm going to keep watch, but first, I'm going to make sure you go to sleep, understand?" Resigned to the fact that this woman wouldn't let me back on deck, and also that I was probably in the kind of state where challenging her would be extremely foolish, I lay back in the bed. The pillows were still warm from Marie's stint, and I pulled the covers up to my chin, over the top of my wet clothes. I'd feel uncomfortable when morning came, but at that moment, it felt heavenly…

* * *

The ghost ship had followed us, lit up in the moonlight so that every dreadful creature aboard could be seen moving around, like termites in some giant nest. That one, bobbing lantern still swung from the side, lighting the face of only bone and muscle. "Marie, Marie, why not bring us your friend. Our master would like to see her, he would. She's been spying on him, my dear Marie. He doesn't like that, not one bit. Come to us Marie, come here, come to daddy."

"We're here," Marie proclaimed, leaning in through the door. I started, and looked up at her, surrounded by blinding sunlight. :Eurgh, what a nightmare…: I thought, even as I extracted myself from the bed, and made my way up on deck.

The shafts of sunlight through the door hadn't quite prepared me for the glorious day we now faced. I shielded my eyes against the sun until they could adjust, and then took in the island before us. Dragon Roost Island – home of the Rito people, and their great protector, the dragon, lord Valoo. I looked up to see whether I could glimpse the great Valoo, but all I could see was a great black cloud hovering above the tall mountain at the centre of the island.

"It looks like there's something wrong here," Marie said, beginning to bring down the sail as we neared the shore. I could see a small speck of red growing larger as we grew closer, and knew that the boy was already here. "I've never seen a cloud like that over the mountain before – not when the sky's this clear."

"What do you suppose is wrong?" I asked, and then remembered I still held her telescope. "Here, take a look and see if you can see anything," I gave it to her. She pulled it out to its full length, and then took it to her good eye. She turned the dials on the end to focus it, and then shook her head.

"I can't see a damn thing – that cloud's too thick I'm afraid. As to what's wrong…probably the same as what's wrong all over the Great Sea at the moment. Dark creatures are appearing everywhere recently. I just hope Valoo's all right, or the Rito…" she paused, and then took the telescope to her eye again. "Hey, is that the kid?" she handed it to me, and pointed to a small black speck flying across the red/brown backdrop of the mountain.

I rose the telescope to my eye, and wheeled it around until I focused on it. To my surprise, she was right! Rufus was flying through the air, on the back of a stern-looking Rito man. Rufus' face was in a delighted grin as they soared through the air, and the corners of my mouth twitched to join in his joy. :Stop it, you idiot. Haven't you taken the Hylian trend far enough: I dropped the telescope almost as if it had burned my eye, and gave it back to Marie.

"Yes, that's the boy," I told her shortly, finishing my duties by pulling on the rudder so that we landed with a gentle bump next to Red on the beach. I hopped off first, and Marie handed me a rope, which I tied to the same tree as Red was tied to. "Good morning," I greeted him, crouching down to the look him directly in the face.

"I'm not sure if I agree with you, but good morning anyway," he answered, rather gloomily.

"What's happened mate?" Marie asked, strolling over and being far too merry for the occasion. "Why the long face?"

"The 'long face', Marie, is because the great Valoo has been acting very oddly lately, which makes our quest ten times as difficult." He returned his desperate gaze to me. "Rufus' battles are starting now, and I need you to watch him. He's never done anything like this before, and I'm worried for him… Will you watch him?"

"Of course I will," I agreed at once. "However…I don't know where I need to go…"

"That's a problem that will be solved soon enough. I trust you saw Rufus through that telescope?" I nodded. "Well, that Rito is taking him to Dragon Roost Cavern, which leads into the mountain itself. You'll need to go there, but, the only way to get there is by flight…"

"Well, this girl can practically fly from what I've seen," Marie said, clapping me heartily on the shoulder. :Since when did she start liking me: I wondered, carelessly shrugging her hand from my shoulder.

"The distance is one that not even a Sheikah could achieve, Marie," he told her. "No, the only way you'll get there is if a Rito will take you. As such, you'll have to wait until Quill arrives here with the Rito chieftain."

"Wait a minute – the chieftain is involved?" Marie broke in. "You do remember my track-record, don't you Red?"

"Yes Marie, I do," he answered, the fierce mouth curling into a smile. "Which was why I was going to suggest that you take Flo and sail to the cove on the other side, and wait there. Shadow," he looked back at me again, "would you please give Marie the stone?"

"But, what if you need to-"

"I won't be able to talk to you when you're inside the cavern anyway, so Marie may as well have it."

"Oh…OK…" I took it out, and placed it into Marie's outstretched palm. "Now, can you finish what you were going to say?" Marie started untying Flo again.

"Of course…" He took a deep breath, and launched into his explanation. "Since the only way to get there is to fly, I told Quill to enlist the help of some of the other Rito to help you get to the cavern."

"Hang on…are you trying to tell me they're going to fly me to cavern?" I asked slowly, unsure of what he meant.

"Exactly. Unless of course you'd prefer to try and grow your own wings of course," he snapped. Then, he looked apologetic, "Sorry, I'm just worried for the boy…"

"That's all right." I looked up at the clear sky. "How long do you reckon it'll be until they arrive?"

"Not long. Just long enough for Marie to get out of sight, if only she'd hurry up and get going already!" Marie jumped, and hurried with a sheepish look back to our boat.

"Point taken, I'm going already!" she exclaimed, and started to push off. I went over and helped her, wading out until I was waist deep in the water, and then letting go. "I'll see you then," she said, starting to put the sail back up. "Be careful, all right? After all, you never know when I might need a bodyguard again."

"I'll be careful," I said, and then waded back to shore. Now, the top half of my clothes were encrusted with salt, which had dried from the previous night, and the bottom half was stiff with salt, and sopping wet. :This adventure business plays havoc with my style: I thought, dusting off the clumps of salt all over my shirt. When I took my hand to my hair, I found that it was just a tangled mess, and left it as it was. It still covered one of my eyes, so it was fine by my standards.

I sat down next to Red, and watched 'Flo' and Marie sailing out of sight. The visions from the night before came back to haunt me, along with the nightmares they'd bought. "You've had another vision, haven't you?" Red asked, drawing me out of my own mind and back to the real world. "I can tell…there's always something different about the eyes when a seer has a vision, you know…"

"Indeed?" I questioned dryly, too tired and feeling far too worthless to be polite.

"Yes," he carried on, not seeming to have noticed my rude manner, "your eyes are clouded over. Pensive. And full of worry – what was it you saw?" he seemed quite earnest, and I forced myself to recount the horrible things I'd witnessed. "A vision of the past?" he asked softly, when I'd finished.

"Yes."

"Oh my…your sight grows stronger and stronger all the time… Have you seen any more of Dragmire; something that could explain this?"

"No…nothing to explain this," I answered, a little ashamed, because this fact disappointed him so.

"Ah well, then we shall have to find things out the hard way, won't we?" I made a sound of agreement in the back of my throat, and saw the boat finally slip out of sight around a large headland.

* * *

About half an hour of silent contemplation later, there was the sound of a great many pairs of wings beating overhead. I looked up, and was presented with a whole battalion (or at least, that was how it seemed) of Rito. I suddenly remembered the Rito man I'd rescued even before all of this began, and wondered if they'd already had word of him. :I may as well tell them anyway, just in case they haven't.: I realised that I didn't actually know his name…

"King of Red Lions, my friend, we came as fast as we could!" one Rito, who was more grandly clothed than the rest, called down to us. The group descended elegantly, apart from one, who dropped like a veritable stone to the ground. "Quill!" the first Rito (who I guessed must be the chieftain from the crown that he wore) chided the one whose landing was less than perfect. I recognised the stern face, now slightly bashful, as belonging to the same Rito who'd been carrying Rufus to the cavern.

"Sorry sire," he apologised quietly, and looked at the ground with his face now flushed a salmon pink colour.

"Is this the young woman you need us to transport, old friend?" the chieftain asked, looking at me with something akin to surprise. However, he politely did not comment, only waited expectantly for Red to answer.

"Yes, this is the one I told Quill of. I believe she would be of great assistance to Rufus, should he get himself into any trouble," Red said, managing to nudge me forwards by prodding me in the side with one of his carved horns. "Stand up!" he hissed, and I clumsily got to my feet, and offered a curt bow. The chieftain nodded to me, and then looked back at Red.

"Are you sure?" he looked at me. "Begging your pardon, but you do seem a little young to be adventuring, lady."

"I am too young, and yet the boy Rufus is not?" I murmured incredulously. "Is this a matter of age, or one of sex?" He looked taken aback, and I was shocked at myself as well. :That's two times now you've been rude to royalty. For Gods sakes, hold your tongue: My own advice quelled my anger, and I apologised. "I'm sorry," I said with a bow. "I've not slept properly in a few days, and it doesn't agree with me."

"Quite understandable," he smiled. "And I am sorry also…I'm just not used to the idea of young women travelling around and fighting as you do…" he trailed off, and then cleared his throat. "Well, enough of this awkwardness! I believe you require help to get to Dragon Roost Cavern, is that correct?"

"Yeah, that's right; and I'm very grateful for the help you're offering."

"Right, well, unless you've anything else left to say Red, I'll be off, and my men here will escort-"

"Actually, sire, there are a few more pieces of instruction I need to give before she can go. Could I have a few minutes perhaps?" I blinked, hardly believing my ears. The Hylian boy Rufus could, even at that moment, be in dire peril, and Red wanted a 'few minutes?' Cursing the laws that bound me to listen to royalty, I stood by him, as the Rito shuffled away out of earshot. The chieftain extended his wings, and took off smoothly from the ground, twirling like a Hylian street-dancer upon the strong breeze that still blew from the west.

"Red, what are you doing? Rufus could be in real danger, and you're-"

"I'm telling you what you must do, so that you don't jeopardize his safety any further, Shadow!" he exclaimed heatedly. "Look, you must promise me – Shadow, look me in the face as you say this," I tore my eyes away from the dwindling figure of the chieftain, and stared at him. "You must promise me, that you will not show yourself to Rufus. Not yet. He needs to do this on his own. Only if he's in mortal peril, will you show yourself to him. Do you understand?" I nodded. "And do you promise to do as I have said?"

"You have my word."

"Good." I started to stand up, but he managed to grab my wrist within his mouth, and pull me back down. "And another thing," he smiled slightly, "stop worrying about showing your emotions. Who knows, it might even do you a little good… After all, it didn't help the great Sheik in the end to be so strictly Sheikah."

:Wha…: "Hang on, what do you mean?"

"I'll tell you some other time; now, go!"

"No!" I argued. "Tell me what you mean!"

He narrowed his eyes at me, and growled, "Just go. This isn't the right time to let your emotions out. Now go." I started to protest again. "Go, that's an order Shadow!" At those words, my in built instincts pulled me to my feet, and propelled me towards the waiting Rito. :Stupid, useless… Eurgh! I hate this stupid adventuring lark. I just want to go home:

:And leave a young boy alone in a dangerous place like the cavern? How incandescently brave of you.: I shook my head and wondered just when I'd acquired multiple personalities. :I just hope this isn't the beginning of a trend.:

The group of Rito looked up as I approached. "Are you ready to go miss?" the one called 'Quill' asked.

"Yes, I am," I nodded.

"Good, well, if you'd care to step on," he pointed to the ground, and I looked down to see a small, round wooden platform sitting on the sparse dune-grass. It was about three foot in diameter, and there were three holes through which ropes had been hooked. :Thank the Gods – at least I don't have to cling onto one of their backs as Rufus had to.: That would have been…too embarrassing for words… All that contact!

"Oh no you don't Quill. We don't want to kill her!" One of the other Rito pushed him out of the way. "The way you take off, you'd probably knock the rest of us out before we're fully off the ground!" Quill scowled.

"Come on, my take-offs aren't that bad!"

"Rubbish they aren't – remember that time you nearly took my eye out at-"

"Quiet!" I roared :that is going to really hurt if I have to keep doing that: "There isn't time for you to argue. If you please, just choose some of your people, and get me to that cavern before Rufus gets into trouble." They didn't move, and feeling strangely empowered after letting my anger out like that, I stepped onto the wooden board. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Suddenly, they began to move again. Three Rito (not including Quill, I noticed) took up the ropes, and tied them around their waists.

Quill instead joined another two Rito in lifting the board off of the ground (which was a strange experience.) Then, the three Rito with the ropes unfurled their impressive wings, and began to flap – it sent my hair flying about my face, and I resettled my feet so that my centre of gravity was firmly at the centre of the board. "Wouldn't you prefer to sit?" Quill asked, looking up at me from the ground.

"No, I'll be quite all right standing, thanks," I answered, flashing a grin, which, only afterwards did I remember he wouldn't be able to see. Unless you're accustomed to reading emotions by eyes only, its quite a hard thing to do.

"All right lads; on three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

The take-off was probably the worst part, as all three of them rose into the air at different rates, making the board wobble and tilt. Had I not stretched my arms out to my sides to regain my balance, I probably would have fallen off. Luckily, I didn't, and when the three of them got into the same rhythm as one another, the actual flight wasn't all that bad after all.

* * *

_Giggles I had far too much fun making Marie and Shadow fight… And that whole thing with the ghost ship wasn't planned, and the idea was half-stemmed from Pirates' of the Caribbean… I managed to spook myself out, since I wrote it in the middle of the night (fool that I am), so even if you didn't like it, I enjoyed myself!_

_Dear me, I really need to start on the action before you all die of boredom out there. However, never fear, for Dragon Roost Cavern is in the very next chapter! Now to see whether I can actually construe some plausible fight scenes!_

_Soda_

_PS: Bah, I guess the reference to that Anastasia cartoon movie might have been a bit obscure, looking back at it… It's just that bit near the beginning of chapter seven, right before Rufus has his flash-back, and he thinks 'It's like – a memory from a dream.' I wish I could lay claim to that beautiful phrase, but, alack, I stole it._


	9. Rufus: Invisible Aid

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Welcome to chapter eight of 'The hero, the broken, the saviour'. Last chapter, we saw Shadow kick the butt of the pirate woman Marie, encounter a ghost ship, and turning slightly mad because she's not keeping to the Sheikah ways. All this self-bashing doesn't really put her in the best frame of mind to watch over Rufus… The young hero is even now entering Dragon Roost cavern, for his first real adventure – will he be able to cope, with what little training his simple island life has given him? You'll have to read on to find out!_

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

_It's turning a/u. Run for your dictionaries so you can all flame me with big words!_

* * *

**_Rufus: Invisible aid…_**

Quill dropped me off in front a large, ominous looking cave entrance. The King of Red Lions had told him that he needed to go back and tell the other Rito what was going on, so he hurried off to get back. I watched as he falteringly wheeled around, and grinned as he waved a wing at me, which caused him to drop about ten feet through the air before he righted himself. I swear I heard him curse, but I'm not sure. I'd like to believe I didn't actually; otherwise it might well have spoilt my opinion of him. Swearing is just not…not cool.

I turned away from the bright morning sun, which was bathing the island in a golden light, and returned my eyes to the inky blackness of the cavern I was about to enter. The tall cliffs on either side blocked out the rays of the sun, so that I stood in shadows that were almost as deep as those of that gaping hole in the rock… However, instead of feeling cold, I felt quite warm. :In fact, I feel even warmer than I did in the sun just now: My head was starting to feel especially warm, and, now that there wasn't anyone else around to see the terrible state of my hair, I took it off and stuffed it into the spoils bag Niko had given me.

Then, knowing that as soon as I got into the cavern, I wouldn't be able to speak to the King of Red Lions again, I took out the green stone he had given me, and looked at it. :How does this work: I'd never contacted him with it before…he always contacted me. I prodded it with a finger to see if that would make anything happen. Nothing did :did you really expect it to be that simple: Then, after another look around to make doubly sure that there wasn't anyone there to laugh at me if I happened to make a fool of myself, I held the stone up to my face, and spoke into it.

"Red? Red, are you there?"

"Marie, just stay in the cove until I send for you," Red's voice came back faintly, and then I heard a voice that I recognised, but couldn't quite place,

"Don't make it too long mate, there's only so much time a gal can sunbathe before she gets bored!"

"Yes, I know," Red answered, and he sounded exasperated. I said his name again, more loudly this time, which cut across the lady's voice,

"Red? Is that you? It's me, Rufus." :Stating the obvious there: I grinned to myself.

"Shh," I heard Red hiss quietly, and then, in a falsely jovial voice, he spoke to me. "Hello Rufus! What did you want to speak to me about?" It was then I realised that I didn't actually have anything to ask him about…

"Urm, well," I stumbled looking for words. "I just, you know, wanted to, uh – make sure that if I needed to contact you, I'd be able to." :Nice save: I congratulated myself.

"Oh – well, of course. Good thinking my dear lad! You do remember that you won't be able to contact me from inside the cavern though, don't you?"

"Yeah, I remember. But, why is that?" I knew by this point that I was stalling for time. I really wasn't all that keen on wandering into a darkness that could hide any number of monsters baying for blood!

"Why? Something to do with the great Valoo's magic most likely – the magic of this stone is only small, but his magic is very strong… Why do you ask?"

"Just curious…uh, well, I guess I'd better – go then, right?"

"Oh! Yes, you had better get moving as quickly as you may! The Rito are counting on you boy; and I know that you will do me proud, and you'll help them with ease! Now, go, and be careful."

"I will," I said, in the exact same tone I would have used to Grandma. He didn't seem to notice my insincerity however, and didn't reply. The stone stopped glowing in my hands, and I put it away again. :How many of these stones are there: I wondered, thinking about the voice I'd heard before Red and the lady were both aware I was talking as well. I shook my head, and decided there was no point trying to figure it out. If Red wanted to tell me, then he would. If he didn't then there was probably some great mystical reason why he couldn't…or something like that anyway.

I nudged an annoying long bit of hair out of my face, and briefly considered putting my hat back on. As I got nearer to the entrance into the mountain, however, I decided against it, because, with every step I took, the temperature seemed to rise by a degree or two. I even had to pause to unlace the neck of my tunic, and roll up my sleeves, before I carried on. I left the twilight shadows cast by the cliffs, and entered the midnight blackness of the cave.

I moved across until I found a wall with my right hand (in my left I was already holding the Hero's sword). The rock there was warm beneath my fingertips, which was something I hadn't expected. I kept my hand to it though, following the wall forwards, and carefully placing my feet before me, checking for unstable bits of floor before I actually took a step. Luckily, the floor was perfectly intact, and soon, there was the red glimmer of light penetrating the gloom.

It was even hotter here, and sweat began to trickle down the back of my neck, as well as plastering my hair to my forehead. :I am going to smell so bad when I get out of here: I thought with a mixture of amusement, and then horror at the thought that Medli might be privy to a rather more pungently scented Hylian boy than the one she'd met earlier. :Where did that thought come from: I thought just after that, and then a sound from ahead broke into my thoughts.

I immediately crouched down low, the Hero's sword in a position ready to block any blows that might come my way. I squinted to see through the still murky light, and couldn't see anything moving. There was, however, a heat shimmer over the whole scene, which gave the illusions that the walls themselves were moving! I advanced slowly, still with my right hand trailing along the wall. I was scared that if I took my hand away, I might end up losing my way before I could even get into the cavern proper.

This did mean, however, that I only had my sword to block with, as I couldn't carry both sword and shield on one arm! I'd just have to hope that nothing too strong would try and attack me before I got to a place where I had enough light to see by.

Finally, a sharp bend in the tunnel I'd been following bought me into a small chamber, with a large pile of rubble at the far end, and various – eurgh – various bones lying about on the floor. A rat skittered across my path, and jumped through the eye-socket of a charred skull, before crawling out a whole in the back. It must have been a heavy blow, because almost the whole back of the skull was missing. I could even see a few slivers of metal glimmering in the hazy red light.

All of the bones lying around must have belonged to civilised beings… Monsters all disintegrate very soon after they die, but these bones looked old. There were even a few lying around who had lost all colour, and were completely ivory white. Some of the other skulls lying around had paper thin bone, and, when I accidentally stepped on one that I hadn't noticed, it crunched beneath my feet. "Oh Gods!"

I shuddered, and looked away. It was hard not to just stop and stare at a few of the skeletons…most of them didn't seem…human. There was even something that looked like it had had four legs, which ended in hooves, and then two extra arms. I tore my eyes away, and pointedly ignored the rest of the oddities lying around me. Instead, I focused on the pile of rubble, in which there was a small hole which was letting light through. :That must be the entrance to the cavern then: I decided.

With that in mind, I hurried over to the rubble, and put my eye up to the hole. The room on the other side had many torches burning steadily, and a door exactly opposite my viewpoint, which had a large bolt on it, with a padlock on. As well as that, there were two bokoblins, both of whom were holding very large, scarily pointed looking sticks. However, the expressions on their faces (the one on the left looking comatose, and the one on the right actually asleep and leaning on his stick) told me that they wouldn't be much harder than the ones I'd fought back at the Forsaken Fortress…

The memory came back to me unbidden…

_"I've come to get you out of here – do you know if there's a key anywhere?"_

_"Big brother, are you listening?" Aryll called._

_"What was that, sorry?"_

_"I said I don't know where the key is, but maybe you should look over – OH NO! Rufus, watch out!" I didn't have any time to react before the huge black bird that had kidnapped Aryll landed in front of me. I made to get out my weapons, but it flapped, throwing me back against the wall. Aryll screamed, and then I felt huge claws digging into me._

_My stomach lurched as the creature took off, and the world turned upside down – I managed to catch a glimpse of Aryll's face, and saw that she was crying. "No..." I groaned, dazed from hitting the wall and feeling sick. "Aryll!" I struggled, but the bird's grip was like iron, and I couldn't get free._

Guilt ran through me, and that quickly turned into anger. It had been monsters like those bokoblins that had slowed me down when I was trying to get to Aryll. It was monsters like these that had been spreading across the Great Sea and causing havoc! And it was monsters like these that I had trained for five years of my life with Orca, greatest of swordsmen, to be able to fight. Staring out with a wooden play sword, and then a staff, and then finally the coveted Hero's sword, treasure of the island armoury!

I began shifting the rubble as noiselessly as I could; small showers of stone were sent pattering down the mound every so often. Each time this happened, I stopped to look through the widening hole I was making, and grinned when I saw them in exactly the same positions each time. Finally, when I'd made a hole just big enough for me to comfortably crawl through, I picked up my sword from where I'd laid it down to shift the rocks, and shoved my left arm through the hole first, before following with the rest of my body.

I hadn't gauged quite how far the drop was on the other side, and landed with a loud thud that finally drew the attention of the bokoblins. :Well, at least that proves that they're not deaf: I thought, picking up my sword from where it had clattered onto the floor during my fall. One of the bokoblins rushed towards me, pointy stick raised aggressively – I made short work of it in my anger, reducing it to a short, stumpy stick. The bokoblin looked at it disbelief, and then tried to jab me with its ruined weapon.

I easily sidestepped, and caught sight of the other monster whilst doing so. This one appeared to be slightly more cunning, as it had run to one of the nearby torches, and had lit its stick on fire. I returned my attention to the first one, and block another attack made with its almost useless weapon. I put a large chink into the wood, and, when it swings the weapon away, the whole end splinters off, and it was left holding something that resembled a very small twig. With a howl of outrage, it sprang at me.

Years of working on footwork against Orca (who for someone his age is still damned fast) meant I yet again sidestepped easily, and then span around, sword held out horizontally. Thus, I was able to cut the bokoblin straight through the middle – before its body disappeared into dust, I saw the top half sliding away from the bottom half, and got a glimpse of blood. :Eurgh – not nice: I thought, wrinkling my nose at the gloopy black substance that now clung to my sword. :The other bokoblins didn't make quite such a mess of my weaponry either: I thought, and this added to my insane anger.

I ran towards the other bokoblin, who, after the demise of its fellow, had dropped its own weapon and tried to hide in the shadows at the other side of the room. I let out a howl of fury, and the cowering creature tried to run away – it held a small knife in its hand, and when it had figured out it wouldn't be able to outrun me, it turned around and tried to slash at my face. Luckily, I'm small enough to be able to duck out of the way of that sort of thing. I did this, and then swiped at the knees of the creature.

It screeched loudly, and buckled onto the floor, dropping its knife. My sword, already filthy, I discarded, and, thinking it to be poetic justice of sorts, I picked up its knife, and stabbed the crudely shaped metal object through its heart. I may have been angry, but I wasn't going to torture the beast. If something has to die, its better to go quickly and cleanly. I wrenched the knife out, but half of the blade remained in the body, which a second later turned into dust, and the rusty knife shard clattered onto the floor.

"Shoddy workmanship," I muttered, dropping what was left of the knife next to the small specks of dust that were also fading away. The rage I'd felt was waning rapidly, and I found that my sweat had turned cold. I rubbed the back of my neck, and then discovered a piece of tattered old cloth lying on the ground, which I used to wipe the blood from my sword. Then, I discarded the rag, and walked over to the door which I already knew was padlocked, in order to get my bearings of the rest of the room.

"The key has to be in here somewhere," I reasoned aloud to myself. I wandered back over to the place where the first dark creature had fallen, but there was nothing there, and I already knew the second had only left his stick and knife behind. I turned slowly around, studying the walls, the floor, the ceiling, of the room, for anything that looked out of place. The only thing I could find was a group of large urns that stood next to the door.

Walking back over to them, I saw that almost all of them were full of water. :Well, I am quite thirsty: I thought, bending down to scoop some out and drink it. But, then I noticed the green scum growing on the top, and it even looked like a few pots contained moving organisms! I wrinkled my nose:Who's to say it isn't poisoned or something anyway. It's probably a good thing you didn't drink some.: I nodded in agreement to the part of me that talked sense, and then lent my attention to the urns that didn't hold any water.

The first urn was completely empty, and the second one just held a huge bundle of more sticks. In the third urn, however, I found exactly what it was I sought. I put my hand in to grab the key, but swiftly pulled it out again when something very sharp cut into the skin between my thumb and forefinger. "OW!" I looked at it in horror, to see two tiny pinprick teeth marks on the upper side of my hand, and two almost identical ones on the palm side. I balled my hand into a fist, and then used my left hand (thanking the fact that I'd reached in with the hand I don't usually use in the first place) to tip the urn over.

It shattered on the hard stone floor, and a bat-like creature looked up at me with demonically glowing yellow eyes. :A Keese: I thought, quickly stabbing it with my sword. :Thanks the Gods they aren't poisonous: I thought, looking at the small wound again. I picked up the key from within the shards of the urn, and hurried over to the door in order to use it.

It was quite hard to turn the key, probably because the padlock itself was so rusted, but, once I had, the bolt flew out of the way after a good hard shove. It clanged against the rock on the other side, and the sound echoed off of the stone walls of the room. I looked around to check that there wasn't anything about to creep up behind me, and then leant against the door to push it open.

I'd been expecting to find myself in a large cavern, but, instead, I found myself in a really small corridor-like room, with a boarded up door at the other end. There were a few small rocks lying around on the floor, as well as some more of those pots lined up along the walls. I walked towards the boarded up doorway, picking up a couple of rocks as I went. The wood looked to be mostly rotten, so it shouldn't be that hard to break my way through.

As I drew closer, I was able to see chinks of bright red light pulsating through the cracks between the boards. There was a roaring, bubbling sound, and the rush of hot air coming from behind the door was astonishing. I broke out in a new sweat, and licked my lips with a tongue that was already quite dry. :I wish I had a drink: I thought, treading lightly across the floor, which was sending a great deal of heat through the soles of my boots.

Crash! There was an explosive crash behind me, and something sharp shot into the small of my back at high speed. "Fu-" I began, but I cut myself off before I could even finish the word. Reaching down, I managed to find blood seeping slowly out of a wound that was blocked with a shard of broken pottery. I could yank it out – besides, there were more important things to worry about, such as the strikingly intelligent looking bokoblin that was advancing towards me. It had two curved swords in its scaly hands, and, for some reason, I found myself thinking of it as a 'her'.

:After all, Aryll does keep saying that girls are smarter and all that: I felt a lump in my throat as I remembered Aryll back in that cell. But, the thought didn't preoccupy me for long, as my opponent launched her first attack. The shard of pottery lodged in my lower back was obviously from the pitcher she'd been hiding in, waiting for some fool to come past. :Ah well, she'll get more than she bargained for in me.: I managed to swing my shield from my back at the same time as blocking a double assault from her twin blades.

With shield and sword together, I was able to contend with two blades more easily, as I had two things to block with. However, her blows came down so thick and fast that I wasn't able to get any of my own in! She was backing me towards the door, and I gulped as I sensed the gap between it and I became smaller and smaller. I had none of the rage I'd had earlier, and I tried to call it back. It seemed as though I fought better when I was mad :which is completely contrary to what Orca told you, so you shouldn't do it:

There was no denying the fact, however… I thought of Aryll, but where I'd found anger before, now I only found a deep self-loathing…

The bokoblin hit me especially hard – it was a double hit that sent me flying backwards, into the rotten wood. This served to wedge the shard of pottery more deeply into my flesh, and I had to keep in another incredibly rude word! The wood buckled underneath my weight, and my top half tumbled through, whilst my bottom half found resistance, which resulted on a back flip to the other side. I landed on my suffering back, and completed the roll so that I managed to get back onto my feet again.

She exploded through the door, and I rose my shield against the splinters of wood that went flying. Her eyes were narrowed and deadly, and I'm sure I saw a calculating smirk on the dark-skinned face. Pointed teeth shone with the red light, which now, I realised, was given off by magma bubbling over a hundred feet below. :At least, I think it was magma. Since it was below ground I mean…I know that it's called lava when it gets above ground, and magma when it's below ground. But, does that count for above or below ground? No matter… Because, that gives me an idea…: I wasn't going to win this battle through strength, so I'd have to win it by cunning instead.

I let both my arms drop, pretending to be so hurt that I couldn't even bear the weight of my equipment anymore. A delighted snarl escaped the bokoblin, and she raised her swords to give what she must have anticipated to be my deathblow. She bent down slightly, to give extra power behind the swing, and then sprinted forwards to deliver her attack. :I just hope she's going fast enough…: I thought, playing a game of chicken, and waiting until the last minute until I dived out of the way.

At the same time, I swung a leg out sideways, which caught her in her mail-clad stomach – she stumbled in her run, and collapsed forwards. Onto nothing – the decking ended, and it was only the heavy boots the beast wore that hit against the wooden platform once, before she tumbled into the incandescent magma below. I didn't look, and flinched a little as I heard the hissing pop that told me she'd hit into the boiling rock.

Instead, I looked around to see where I could go next, in order to make my way upward. There were some stairs on the far side, but it was impossible to get to the bridge that led to them from where I stood. And there wasn't anywhere else I could go either. Not to mention that the heat in here was almost unbearable. I took to using my shield in order to fan myself a bit, as I walked along to try and find somewhere to go next.

I thought I heard a sound behind me, and I reeled around, sword raised. Something then moved in my peripheral vision, but, when I looked, it wasn't there anymore. I walked towards the shadows that whatever it was must have moved into, peering to try and see through the darkness to whatever it was I'd just seen moving around.

Another sound distracted me – this time a low rumbling sound that soon escalated into a bubbling roar – and then, all of a sudden, a column of fire shot up from the magma lake behind and below me. I saw it from the corner of my eye, and, the shadows in front of me were all quelled for a few seconds, so that I could see what was there.

Nothing…not a thing. I rove my eyes around the rest of the cavern whilst it was all lit up, but the light faded before I could search everywhere. :Well…if it hasn't tried to attack me yet, then maybe it won't at all: I thought, though I didn't dare to lower my sword. If there were more creatures here as intelligent as the last one I'd fought, I needed to be on my guard.

I went back along the decking, towards the place where there was a huge gap in it. The far away scrap of decking linked to the long bridge that in turn led to a large door which had no padlock on. :How do I get across: I knew there was no way I could jump that. Normally, I would probably have given it a go at home. The only difference between here and back at home was, if I missed at home, I'd only fall into water. If I missed here, I would either fall into boiling hot magma, or become splat on the stone floor eight or nine feet below.

There were a few crates laid out on the level below. I wondered briefly just how wooden crates had survived in a place like this. Then I remember that I was in fact standing on wood, and realised that it was surviving pretty well. The crates themselves posed an interesting idea to me, which would help me to get across the gap and ultimately to that unlocked door that was just begging me to go through it.

I backed away from the edge of the decking, and dropped both of my bags (the food one and the spoils bag) onto the ground. Then, I took out the rope I'd bought on Windfall, and started to tie it around a couple of the boards of the decking, looping it in and out of the gaps, trying to remember the orders Red had barked at me when I was trying to put up the sail. When I was done, I tugged as hard as I could on the rope, and found that it seemed to be strong enough to hold my weight.

I picked up both of my bags, and slung them back over my shoulder, along with my sword and shield. Then, I turned around, picking up the rope that was coiled up on the ground, and went to throw it over the edge. Imagine my surprise when I saw a flash of indigo and white below me – it was so quick that I blinked, and it was gone. I was sure I'd seen it however, and threw the rope down, then shimmying down as quickly as I could.

The indigo thing, whatever it had been, wasn't there anymore. The crates, however, had been moved, so that they were all on the far side of the gap I wanted to breach, and one was even stacked on top of four others, reaching a height of six feet, which would be more than enough for me to be able to pull myself up onto the decking from. :It wasn't like that before…I swear…it wasn't: I wondered if this had anything to do with the indigo thing… :Well, it must do. You saw it just before you saw the crates had changed:

I wondered if maybe the crates were a trap, and, if I trod on them, they'd set fire, or bokoblins would leap out of them, or something. I went around the crates, knocking on the sides of each one in turn. All of them sounded hollow, and none of them relinquished monsters.

Satisfied that I might very well have a shy friend helping me out, I rested my hands on the edges of the lower level of crates, and began to pull myself up. When I scrunched up the right side of my back, fiery-hot pain declared its presence. "Ah! Damnit!" I exclaimed, and this time, the swear word was completely called for, and rather too soft a one for the pain that was shooting through my back. The shift had caused the shard to move around a little bit, and it had literally twisted around, gouging out a bit more of my flesh, and bringing out more of my blood.

"Ow – stupid thing!" I leant against the crates, and winced when I realised it was even hurting to breathe. I decided I may as well try some of that blue potion Doctor Bandum had sold me. Gingerly, I leant down, and took the heavy-duty glass bottle from my pack. I placed it on top of the crates, and then, quite awkwardly because no matter what I did, it really hurt, I managed to get a hold on the shard in my back.

It was slippery with blood, and I even managed to slice a good few cuts into my fingers as well from the sharp porcelain. However, I did manage to yank it out, with a sharp shout as I did so. Then, quickly, I uncorked the blue potion, and took a small mouthful. The pain of my back died down to a dull numb, and I reached back to find the wound closed up. My fingers also healed, only leaving small, scabbed cuts. I also felt refreshed – my tongue wasn't as dry, and I didn't feel as thirsty as I had. "That's good stuff!" I murmured to myself, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand.

Again, the sound of movement from behind me assailed my ears, and I turned around just in time to see a small crate (about two feet tall) come skidding to a stop only a yard or so away from me. :Weird…: "OK, who's there?" I demanded, looking all around to try and catch a glimpse of whoever or whatever was helping me. I suspected they were the thing in indigo, and looked out for that colour. However, I didn't spot anything. "Fine, whatever," I said, a little more grouchily than I intended. "Whoever you are, thanks for the help," I added. Again, there was no answer.

A little stiffly, I bent down, and grabbed the box, bringing it so that it made a step that I could climb up. I did just that, so that I was on the first layer of big crates. Then, I turned around, and lay flat on my stomach in order to get the stepping box. This I then used to step onto the second large crate. Then, I reached down, picked up the stepping crate, and put it on top of the larger crate. I was able to easily step up the foot gap to the decking, and I hitched the shoulder of the spoils bag back into place.

I turned around quickly, hoping to catch my silent helper off guard…no such luck. So, I turned around again, and made my way across the bridge (which swayed precariously beneath my weight). I only started to breath again when I reached the other side, nervous that the whole thing could have collapsed at any time!

The unlocked door glinted slightly as the fire column appeared again. I walked towards it, stretching out my free hands to push it open. However, all of a sudden, it just opened by itself, rising upwards into the steaming stone of the cavern. I took a couple of steps back, and it started to fall again. Then, I ran through, noting that as I got closer, it started to rise up again. :How odd.:

The next room was lit by only the glow of the magma. To the left, I could see a large wooden chest, and straight ahead, I could see a ladder leading up to the next level. :I know I've got to go upwards, but there might be something useful over there…: I wasn't sure how I was going to get across, however, because the magma pool before me yet again posed a distance too far for me to jump. And, crates wouldn't really help me this time, would they?

I backed up slightly as a large bubbles caused spots of magma to fly onto the dark stone ledge I stood on. They hissed slightly, as a couple of them fell into a small puddle of water, and turned abruptly into solid stones once more. I turned to see that there were dozens and dozens of urns filled with dirty water behind me. I also saw that there were more of them on the platform with the chest, and wondered how it was I'd managed to overlook them before.

:You're probably just too preoccupied with whoever it is that keeps helping you.: Yeah…that just about summed it up really. Between my mysterious helper, saving Medli from almost certain death/maiming, and the fact that I had to save Aryll no matter what, my mind was pretty preoccupied…

I kicked the small stones that had formed in the water that was leaking from a cracked jug back into the magma. This caused it to sputter, and fire out more sparks, which then created more stones as they hit the water. "I think…" I began aloud, looking at the water-filled pots, "I have an idea." If my helper was around, they would probably hear me and think me crazy. However, if this worked, then they'd understand what I was about to.

I bent down, and picked up one of the urns; they weren't as heavy as I thought they'd be. Then, I caught it by the brim with one hand, and at the base with the other, so that the neck faced the magma. Some sloshed out and over my hands, but I didn't care – it cooled my hands down a bit actually. Then, I bought my arms back to give my swing some leverage (cringing as my back complained a little), and then threw the pot forwards. The water flew out and arced through the air, before falling with a satisfying pop, and turning the surface of the magma into a stone step to the next platform.

Not daring to think about what would happen if it couldn't hold my weight, I jumped onto it, and then leapt onto the platform to the left. Almost as soon as my feet had left it, the thing had melted into oblivion, and I felt glad of my light footwork.

Now that I was on this platform, I was able to kick open the chest – the lid sprung open, and I backed away, remembering the whole bokoblin coming out of a pot experience of earlier. All that jumped out of this chest though, was a lot of dust. When it had cleared away, I saw a small folded square of parchment folded up at the bottom. :Seems a lot of bother to go to for just a scrap of paper: I thought, reaching in and picking it up.

When I unfolded it, I realised just why it was important. It was a map of the cavern, and after a few seconds, I was able to pinpoint where I was, and where I needed to go next. Just as I had thought, my route was going to be up that ladder which was now to the left of me. I picked up an urn in order to repeat the trick I'd carried out earlier, but was accosted by a group of three Keese, who chattered loudly whilst trying to take chunks out of my ears.

As the only thing I held happened to be the pitcher full of water, I threw the water at them. All the extra weight that the liquid added to their wings meant that they could no longer stay airborne, and two of them spiralled down into the molten rock, where they perished. The survivor dragged its small, rodent body across the floor, and I dropped the empty urn upside down on top of it.

Then, I got another urn, and this time managed to throw it in the right direction, so that it made a useful step between the two platforms. Remembering how quickly the rock would disintegrate, I hopped across and on the last platform, which housed the ladder. Looking up, I saw a small opening into what appeared to be a corridor. It looked a lot darker than the room in which I was standing, and again I wished for a torch or light of some sort. :I should really have grabbed one from the room where I fought the two bokoblins: I thought with rueful regret. Ah well, it was too late now.

As I extended a hand towards the rungs of the ladder, I again heard a strange sound. However, this didn't sound the same as the sounds I'd heard before. This was a sort of 'gloopy', 'gooey' sound. It was coming from the corridor up above, and I looked up just in time to see an indigo-clad arm, ending with a pale white hand, swipe at a red chu-chu (a strange, jelly like creature) with a bright silver knife. The arm withdrew, leaving behind only a small gloop of red chu-jelly on the floor. "Wait!" I called, hurrying up the ladder as quickly as I could.

But, of course, when I reached the top, whoever it had been was nowhere in sight. There was the sound of movement up ahead, and, slightly hopeful, I advanced, sword now out, just in case it wasn't my helper. There was the sound of a loud thud, and as I rounded a corner in the corridor to come upon a long, thin room, I was just in time to see the fallen body of a green bokoblin before it disappeared. "Hey!" I called, my voice echoing off of the walls. "Hey! Come on, show yourself – I'd like to know who's helping me!" I called, urging them to show themselves. They didn't. :Well, what did you expect, hrm? Maybe they're shy…:

The bokoblin had left behind only one thing, and that was a key. I picked it up, and stuffed it into my pocket for use later. Then, I reached out to trail my hands along the wall, just as I had when I'd been walking through the tunnel to enter the cavern proper. The gloom wasn't quite so impenetrable here, but it was still deep enough that all I could make out were the outlines of shapes, and the square of light around the door at the end of the curving hallway. I felt glad that there'd been no branches, or I might have ended up quite lost, since I wouldn't be able to check the map in this light.

I stumbled slightly over some small rocks on the ground, but managed to right myself before I fell flat on my face. I felt a prickling feeling on the back of my neck, as if I was being watched, but I didn't turn around. I knew that the eyes were friendly…or, at least, that they weren't the eyes of something that wanted to kill me. I began to withdraw the key from my pocket, but the door in front of my lifted upwards just like the one before had, so I put the key away. Bright light assaulted my eyes, and when I stepped out into the open, I discovered that I was back in the large cave with the magma lake again.

Only this time, I was on a higher level. :Looks like I'm on track then – going up: I smiled merrily because everything was going according to plan, and then jumped with a pillar of fire erupted right next to me. The heat was so strong that it prickled my skin, and I quickly moved away from it. This bought me towards yet another of those gaps in decking that seemed to have been plaguing my recent existence. Happily, this distance was one that I was comfortable with jumping, and I hopped across with little trouble.

At the end of a shallow incline, I could see a door with a padlock on it, and I took out the key again, walking towards it. The fire flare died down, leaving the soft light and heat coming up from below to seep through the boards I walked on. I looked down, to see the red/orange/yellow mass of writhing liquid rock, quite beautiful, and quite, quite deadly to anyone who so much as touched it. Even looking for too long could hurt your eyes; it was so bright in some places.

The door slid open easily after I had wrestled with the padlock (just as rusty and unkempt as the first), and a gust of refreshing wind whipped over me. The light was bright, as the sun beat down upon me, and as I went outside, the wind blew more insistently, cooling my sweat, and even managing to give me a chill feeling, as opposed to the half-melting one I'd been experiencing for the past hour or so.

I rolled down my sleeves, and used my own sweat to slick my hair back out of my face again. As I did that, even I managed to see the size of the sweat-patches all over my clothes – they sort of all merged in together, so that the only place there wasn't any were the cuffs of my sleeves, and the bottom half of the tunic, below the belt. "Gross!" I exclaimed, when I discovered I could actually wring out my clothes. Deciding that I was just glad that the wind was blowing my own smell away from me, I walked towards the bridge that led to the next wide ledge on the outside of the mountain of the island. I could see the small figure of a bokoblin leaning on the ropes at the other end, and looked around for something to throw at it.

:Aha: I thought as I spied a bunched of small pebbles lying on the ground next to the main body of the mountain. I scooped up a couple of handfuls of them, and then advanced onto the bridge. It swayed slightly at the extra weight, and the creature at the other end (I could tell from even this distance that it was one of the stupid kind) started. It rose a brutal looking knife which had spikes embedded in one side of the blade. The weapon only had short range though, whilst I had long range…and if I could hit it on the head from here, I might not even have to engage it in combat at all. :Though, your smell might be enough to knock it out if it gets to close: I managed to jibe at myself, whilst I tried not to sniff, even though my nose was running.

I was lucky, because the creature made it all very easy for me to attack it, as it started jogging towards me across the bridge. This jiggled me up and down a little bit, so it was harder to aim – however, as the shot was shorter, that meant it was easier to judge the throw. It took six stones – two of which missed completely, one that got it on the shoulder, one on the foot, and two on the arm that half the sword – I managed to hit it on the head. I paused, looking a little bit dazed, so I rushed it. Not having the time to get the Hero's sword out, nor the space to manoeuvre with it properly, I just nudged the stunned bokoblin over the edge of the bridge.

I didn't wait to hear the splash, and hurried onto the next section of stone pathway… Here, there was another ladder, and when I looked up the full length of the thing, I nearly yelled out loud in shock when a jet of fire shot out of the side of the mountain, and over the ladder. I expected it to burst into flames as well, but, when the jet of flame receded, the ladder was just as it had been before this happened.

Shaking a bit because of the shock, and worrying whether or not I would end up being blasted, I started climbing up the ladder. At that very moment, getting on with my 'mission' was more important than thinking about all the stupid things that I was getting scared by. Only about five feet from the ground, I surreptitiously glanced around to try and glimpse my helper. Yet again, they proved to be elusive, and I wondered whether they knew when I'd turn around and look for them…it certainly seemed like it!

I hadn't been paying attention, and was almost at the section of the ladder assailed by flames when they suddenly burst forth again. "Argh!" I yelled, letting go of the ladder with my hands, and wheeling out backwards – I managed to snatch a hand back onto the run before I fell a very long way down. I clung to the ladder for dear life, panting, and looking down at the drop I'd almost had.

Then, quickly, before the flame happened again, I climbed over that section of the ladder. I saw that the reason why the ladder didn't burn, was because this section of the ladder had been coated with metal. It was painfully hot to the touch, and I held onto the rungs as lightly as I dared, hurrying up the ladder at the highest speed I could manage.

Even so, I was only just out of the firing line with the flare erupted again, and I could feel the soles of my boot melting and becoming softer from the heat. I hurried the remaining feet up the ladder, glad when I could pull myself back onto sturdy, steady, safe ground.

* * *

I was inside once again, and was faced with a puzzle that I wasn't quite sure how to handle. I could see an opening into another, larger room, high up in the wall, and no way to get to it. There were loads of freestanding blocks in front of the hole in the wall, but there was no way I'd be able to climb up them, because the sides were sheer, and even had there been cracks, the blocks were too tall for me to have been able to grab onto any cracks there were anyway.

:Damnit…: I looked at the map again to see if it could give me some clue. But, all it said was 'block room' on it, and nothing else. I sighed, and folded the map up again, stuffing it into one of my bags (I'm not sure which one, and I don't really care which one either). Then, I fell back heavily against one of the large blocks, defeated.

Or so I had thought…the block that I'd leant against moved backwards, leaving the one above it teetering half on and half off. I hurried out of the way quickly, and looked at the whole structure, which was swaying precariously. I reached out a foot, and managed to nudge the block another inch with my toe. The second row of blocks up first swayed to the left, and then, when they swayed to the right, it looked as if they weren't going to stop. I backed away quickly, to make sure I was out of the range of the very large, very heavy looking falling bits of stone.

I bumped into the wall that was furthest away from the commotion, and opened my eyes when I realised I had closed them in my retreat. The dust that had been kicked up made me start to cough, and it took a while to get myself under control again. By that time, of course, all the dust had settled again, and I looked with wonder at the complete chaos I'd managed to create with my little accidental nudge.

There was a veritable mountain of rubble – the blocks, that had looked to sturdy and strong, had in fact been hollow, and the shells had broken open, leaving a huge pile of rubble that was even now shifting tiny bits in some places. It provided me with the absolutely perfected stairway up the opening that I had believed it was impossible to get to. Praising my hither-to unsung genius in my mind, I scrambled up the pile of shattered rocks, and then hoisted myself up onto the next level of the cavern's myriad of passages.

A chest awaited me, and I opened it to find a small key sitting, covered in dust and surrounded by the bodies of spiders that had been unfortunate enough to find a way into the chest, and then hadn't been able to find the way out. I shook off their hopeless empty shells, and grinned at a memory that I knew Aryll probably didn't think of all that fondly, but one that I thought summed her up perfectly.

_"Don't like spider!" the golden haired Aryll, toddler of doom and destruction, shrieked, stamping about trying to squash the poor defenceless creature that had been stupid enough to find its way into our kitchen. "Bad spider, squash spider, splat!" she proclaimed as she stamped a foot down right over the poor creature…however, she had forgotten that she was wearing heeled shoes, and the spider just crawled out from underneath the arch of her shoe and scuttled away again, fleeing from this mad Hylian spider-killing machine._

_"Aryll!" I called, trying to distract her with an onion, which she thought were even 'worser' that spiders on the 'ickiness' scale. I, of course, didn't quite see how she had figured that out, but I felt the spider had had enough mortal danger for one day. Aryll turned around, and pulled as face as I picked up a slice of the onion I'd just cut, and eat it, grinning at her as I crunched with my mouth open._

_"Eww! You're icky!" she exclaimed, running over to club me on the head with her teddy bear. I just laughed, and picked her up, swinging her around in a circle, before putting her back down and getting back to chopping up the vegetables for grandma. "You're still icky," Aryll proclaimed, and she tackled me with a hug._

_"So are you, shortie," I laughed, hugging her back._

I smiled fondly, and found that I was twirling the small silver key on my finger. I stopped, and put it into my pocket so that I wouldn't lose it. Then, I took out the map again, because the light here was very good, so I could see where I needed to go next. I pulled the map out, and opened it up; I was shocked (and strangely elated) when a small spider launched itself from the confines of the parchment, crawled across my hand, and then jumped off and drifted down on the floor.

I felt the smile wane, and shook my head at the memory. Those had been the days when Aryll's vocabulary mainly involved sentences with the word 'icky' in it. Something that both Grandma and I always found amusing…we'd sit there for hours and give her topics to talk about, and tell us just where they fell on the 'icky' scale…

I saw that there was a door right ahead down this small hallway, after a turn to the left, to the right, to the right again, and then straight on. I again folded up the map and put it away in my pocket, before setting off to the door that would take me to the outside of the mountain again, where I would be winding my way almost halfway around the entire thing before going back inside into a room that was quite simply labelled 'dark room'. :Not very imaginative room-naming here, is there:

The padlock on this door was actually quite smooth, but the door itself seemed to be jammed shut with something. It took a lot of brute strength just to open the damn thing about a foot. After that, I decided I couldn't be bothered to open it anymore, and squeezed through the gap, leaning the key behind in the door, just as I had with all the other keys. That way, whoever locked the doors, would be able to lock them again easily.

Outside, I was again assailed by the strong wind, which cooled me off after my second stint inside the mountain. Now, I was so used to the fact that I must smell really bad, that I didn't even think about it that much… It was like I could really anyway, because there was a large kargorok rising from a next about ten yards away, and bearing down on me with angry chirrups. I looked around in a panic, as the only missiles I had were a few of the pebbles I had left from taking on that bokoblin on the bridge earlier…and I very much doubted they would be enough to knock this large creature out.

:However…you never know until you try, right: I readied three of them in my hand at once, and lobbed them at the approaching creature. It squawked as one clipped its wing, but seemed to be otherwise unaffected. This meant that I was going to have to fight it with sword and shield – I got both of them out speedily, and I donned my shield just in time to protect against a vicious attack the monster mad with its gigantic talons. I was able to stab at the bare, unprotected scaly legs of the creature with my sword, and I drew the first blood of the battle.

The monster, however, having come from a nest, was acting just like a mother would when her children are in danger. It was attacking almost faster than I could block, and whilst I was managing to land a lot of minor blows, it was impossible for me to get any major ones in there. One particularly hard hit against my shield almost managed to throw my shoulder from its socket, and I groaned as I rolled my throbbing shoulder and prepared for yet another assault.

:I've never fought one of these in flight before – what do I do: I wondered, even as I parried an attempt it made with its beak to bite me. "Damn!" I yelled out, as I tripped backwards over a rocky outcrop. My shield arm I'd thrown backwards in order to stop my fall, and, as such, I'd left my front completely and utterly unprotected. The kargorok, delighted by this turn of affairs, hovered over me, flexing its impossibly strong talons as it made itself ready to descend and rip me limp from limb.

I closed my eyes, and held my sword out in front of my neck. If I didn't managed to defeat the beast, then the least I would be able to do is ensure that it was all over quickly for me. The bird chirruped happily just before it descended, and I braced myself for the impact. It came like a tonne of bricks, and I screamed in the anticipation of the pain of the talons ripping into me, the beak tearing parts of me away…

When that didn't happen, I opened my eyes. I was confronted by the large beady green eye of the kargorok, which was staring lifelessly at me. The pupil was fully dilated, so that almost the whole eye was black – it was only because I'd seen the eyes alive that I knew they were green… There were tiny needles embedded in the flesh of the karkorok, which seemed to have been the cause of its death… I pushed the creature off me, and then stood up shakily, dusting myself off.

:Whoever it is that's helping me, I think they just saved my life: I thought, sending out silent waves of gratefulness to the person/ creature that was watching over me.

I rolled my shield arm again, and the joint popped loudly as it slipped fully back into place. Suddenly curious as to why I couldn't hear the chirps of kargorok chicks, I went towards the next, sword raised and alert in case the other parent came back… There weren't any young in the nest, nor were there any eggs. Instead, nestled amongst a bed of soft down feathers and wild grasses, was a silver key. I walked along the precarious ledge that led to the nest, and picked it up.

Then, I turned around, and walked to the door that led back into the mountain, and into the 'dark room' as the map had so ominously dubbed it. I inserted the key into the lock, turned, and this door opened smoothly.

The dark room was aptly named – I walked in, and immediately collided with a wall. After that, I ended up fumbling around in the dark for a while, falling over more than once. "Where by the Gods is a torch when you need…one…" I trailed off, because a light was drawing closer and closer. I hurried towards it, just like a moth, thinking that now I would finally get a chance to see my helper. However, yet again they'd disappeared, leaving behind only a torch on the floor, which sputtered slightly.

I picked it up, and held it high, trying to see where they could be hiding…there were so many places that I didn't even begin to try and fathom how long it could take me to find them…and it wasn't as if I had time anyway. Even now, Medli could be in serious trouble! So, I cast my mind back to the map (unable to get it out because my sword was in my left hand and the torch was in my right hand) to remember where I had to go next.

* * *

I entered a room that was simply full to the brim with pots and urns and jars of all shapes and sizes. There was a funny hissing sound, and when I looked around, it was to find that metal bars were falling into place over the door I'd just come through. "What the-?" I began, but my ears were assaulted by the attack cry of a bokoblin. I managed to strike it out of the air, and it disappeared before the body even managed to hit the ground.

I could see a ladder leading upwards to another door, which was also barred. I couldn't see anything that looked like a puzzle, and was again somewhat stumped about what I should do. Since there were a lot of pots around, I wondered if perhaps I was meant to smash them…so, without further ado, that's what I started to do. I broke a whole swathe of them with a swing of my sword, and then kicked a few more over, stepping carefully over some of the sharper shards.

When I approached a shelf on which pots were sitting, one of them began moving, and, remembering to way back when I'd first entered the cavern, I ducked behind my shield, and just in time too. The pot exploded, releasing a very angry looking bokoblin. It had that same clever expression on its face as the one I'd tricked to fall into the magma…and here, I didn't have any magma to make it fall into! The only plus was that this one only had one knife for its weapon.

This one I also thought of as female, though I'm not quite sure why… Well, anyway, she lunged at me with her knife, showing some pretty fancy footwork off as she danced from side to side, dodging my lunges in the same way I dodged hers. All I could hope for was that she, being larger than me, would get tired more quickly.

We darted close to the ladder, and there was another sound of exploding china, and a bokoblin landed with exceptional grace (for an upright lizard thing) just behind the one I was fighting. This second bokoblin was pink, whilst the first one was green. She turned to look at the new arrival, and let out a loud growl. The other one did the same, and then, suddenly, the two of them started to fight, and had completely forgotten me.

This allowed me to hoist myself up the ladder and onto the suspended walkway above – from here, I watched as the two of them bit and scratched each other, drawing a lot of blood. When the both rolled close to the ladder, I was ready with two pitchers filled with water, which I dropped onto their heads. With the added weight of the water, the momentum they gained was enough to give both of the bokoblins a very heavy blow to the head.

They lay very still, and the bars over the door slid up – I quietly made my way through the door, and found myself once again outside. There was the loudest roar I ever heard in my life, which echoed and echoed off of the cliffs, and then the ground began to shake beneath my feet as something very heavy jumped up and down, or something to that effect. I found it hard enough to stand, let alone walk, and I leant against the side of the mountain for support.

Looking up, I could see the vibrant red scales of the great Valoo, who was banging his giant clawed fists on the ground, and letting out a sound of great pain. He shot bursts of fire into the sky, and tongues of smoke completely surrounded him in a misty veil. Finally, Valoo stopped in his tirade, and let out a mournful cry, turning his great face away from the sun and towards the side of the island that would be in shadow at this time of the afternoon.

Knowing that all I could do is go up at this point, I followed the half crumbled stairway up towards where the great Valoo sat. "NO! Let go of me, let go!" I heard a girl shriek, and I knew by the voice that it had to be Medli. Throwing caution to the wind and the stability of the steps that I ran on, I sprinted up the stairway, to see Medli being dragged into moveable cage, kicking and screaming all the way. It was a moblin that was carrying her, and two of the cleverer bokoblins (both of them green ones) were taking turns to have swigs from a large, brown glass bottle.

"Hey!" I called, and congratulated myself on sounding a heck of a lot braver than I felt. "You there, put that girl down!" I didn't expect an answer, so imagine my surprise when I got one!

"And why, pray tell, my dear Hylian, would we wish to do that?" A tall, thin Rito man, with mottled grey feathers on his wings, and short, spiky black hair on his head, asked. He strode towards the moblin, and nodded that it should continue forcing Medli into the cage. Then, he turned to face me fully, and the black cape he had gathered about himself caught the wind, and flared out behind him.

"Because…because…" I stammered, and he laughed.

"I see the Hylian eloquence hasn't been exaggerated," he chuckled drily. "Now, child, if you'll excuse us, we-"

"Look, I'm warning you! Let her go!" I managed to say, my voice a lot stronger than it had been before. "You'll be sorry if you don't!"

"My, my. If that isn't the most clichéd line of them all," he said in airy sarcasm. "What do they do, teach you all to speak like imbeciles, or is it just natural?" I growled, feeling highly insulted at the implication that I was, if I understood him correctly, an idiot. I decided to let him know this by employing all the long words I could think of at the time.

"I don't think you seem to understand my proposition. Either you unhand the girl immediately, or I will be forced to use physical violence against you…understand?" This was met by yet another raucous laugh, and the tall Rito man advanced towards me.

"Judas, leave him alone you stupid brute!" Medli yelled, biting the moblin that was carrying her. It just growled warningly, and the Rito (Judas) ignored her. "Rufus, run, he's a maniac!" Judas raised his wing – arm – whatever! The moblin managed to finally stuff Medli in the cage, and chained the door closed behind her.

"Our transport should be here any minute now," he called over his shoulder to the moblin and bokoblins. Then he smiled down at me in a highly condescending manner. "Do you really wish to fight us, boy?" his face was curved in a cruel smile, and I backed up a couple of paces. "It would be a pity…to waste such an…intriguing…boy, such as yourself," he purred, now increasing the pace of his advance. I held my sword up, and he laughed. "Going to kill me, are you?" he asked, tauntingly.

I'd never killed anything but monsters…and I wasn't sure I intended to now… "Look, just back off, I don't want to have to hurt you," I said, but it lacked all the strength it needed to be taken seriously. My sword arm was even shaking. :This isn't how it's meant to go: I thought desperately, casting an eye around for help. :Where's my bleeding shadow of a helper when I need them: Judas reached down and grabbed me around the wrist – I managed to throw him off and I kicked him in the shin, then tripped him over. Then, I ran towards the cage in which Medli was screaming blue murder to be let out. The moblin and bokoblins, however, didn't seem to be about to let me get at her without a fight.

And Judas was getting up from the ground as well. Medli grabbed my hand and tugged on it. I turned my ear to listen. "Look, just run. No point in you getting yourself killed!"

"I'm not letting these madmen take you to…wherever they plan on taking you!" I answered back sternly, taking my hand back abruptly.

"Please, just run – please!"

"Nope." I leant back against the bars of the cage, and then launched myself at a full-sprint to the other side of the plateau on which we were standing. Suddenly, above, Valoo began to have another tantrum, and I tripped up. :Oh…dear…: My thought was confirmed when the moblin grabbed me by the back of my sweat-and-dirt stained tunic, and lifted me off of the ground. "Ow – let go!"

"Do as he says," Judas ordered, and the moblin literally dropped me onto my face.

"Ow, for the love of!" I clutched my nose, which had begun to bleed like mad. "You fu-" he cut me off before I could finish my blaspheming.

"Shut up boy. Moblin, put him in with the other one…then at least this whole charade won't have been a total loss for me." He leered at me, and I blanched as the moblin once again picked me up. :Not that I've anything against those of the homosexual persuasion, but I do find it worrying that this man finds a thirteen year old attractive – the fact that that thirteen year old happens to me is also incredibly disturbing.: Of course, out loud, I didn't say much, just struggled and tried to get away like any sane person would.

"Hey," a soft voice called, and I turned around to see a shade of indigo that I'd been trying to capture for hours. :It's that girl, from the market at Windfall: I had to restrain myself from letting my jaw drop – even the moblin stopped in its tracks to gape (though I think that may have been for different reasons. The clothes she was wearing were very…urm…tight…if you know what I mean… Not that I – uh – oh dear…)

"Oh, for Gods sakes, yet another hopeful adventurer?" Judas raised his eyes the heavens in obvious annoyance. "And it looks to be a dyke at that." :A dyke? Isn't that something to stop water or something:

However, it appeared that 'dyke' was offensive to the girl, because she sighed heavily. "No, not a dyke, not that you be able to tell the difference between a straight or gay woman anyway. I'm a Sheikah, actually. Now, kindly, let those children go, and I'll not have to hurt you." I winced as I heard my own words repeated, and I realised just how stupid they really do sound.

"What is it with all the fucking bravado? Look lassie, it's obvious you're suffering from PMS or PMT, and are, as such, having delusions of grandeur and heroism. Back off, before I give you a real warrior's death."

"Try it," the girl replied, looking somewhat bored as she took a coiled whip into her hands. "Come on – not scared of a girl, are you?" she asked, managing to make it sound like a genuine question, rather than a sarcastic jibe.

"Never," Judas growled, and he suddenly had a sword in his hands. :Where did that even come from: I wondered, trying to look to see where his scabbard was. He levelled it horizontally across his chest, and I could already see that he had perfect form for fighting. The girl just left her hands at her sides, hitting the coiled whip gently against her thigh.

"Come on then."

And that was when the madness ensued.

* * *

:_Giggles: Lookit, I made a cliffie hanger! Yay me! Oh, and I had to cut it off there, or it really would have gotten too long, and this is already going to be a complete bitch to match in Shadow's next chapter! Eesh, that first section of prose was huge! Eleven pages to be precise:Gasps:. I've not written a piece of continuous prose like that for a very, very long time. Hurrah for me!_

_Oh, and Judas – I decided to use that behindthename site Lossemare told me about, and I typed in 'traitor' as a keyword. It actually gave me 'Matthias', who replaced the apostle Judas Escariot after he hung himself (or whatever he did over the guilt of turning over Jesus). Gah, don't ask me to get it right, I don't even have a religion! Anyway, I decided on Judas, because even we people 'without the faith' think of that name, and we think Escariot, and thus, we think 'traitor'. Good connections, ni?_

_Well, that was hideously long, and I'm now stuck into the a/u stuff like mad. You are warned…it will get weirder, trust me on that!_

_Lots of love from a tired canihavea-soda, who cannot write for the life of her at almost four o'clock in the morning (British time). Point out any blaring errors that I've missed in my 'wee hours of the morning' haze._

_Review, make my day, punk_


	10. Shadow: The Illusionist

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter, I began to really launch into the a/u side of the story. Rufus went through Dragon Roost cavern as per standard, being assailed by various creatures, including intelligent (and obviously female) bokoblins. He also seemed to have a friendly shadow following after him, (oh, the irony of the phrase!) making sure that he didn't get into too much trouble… Then, things started to go wrong, for, when Rufus reached the summit of the mountain, he found that a tall, dark Rito (who seemed to take a fancy to Rufus) was trying to kidnap Medli, the new attendant to the great Valoo. Now we shall see just how Rufus' 'friendly shadow' got on in the cavern as well._

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

_It's a/u. Deal with it, or flame me eloquently. Got that? Good!_

_Apologies for the time between updates. RL and Malfoy slash caught up with me O.o It wasn't pretty… Wrestles the little bastards out of the room. Much better. Now, Sheik, just pop off your clothes and sit on that stool over there…what do you mean no? How else am I going to paint y- Blink Oh, fic. Right, got it. (It was worth a shot…)_

* * *

**_Shadow: The Illusionist_**

The flight towards the cavern took a lot longer than I thought it would, as the Rito had to circle around the mountain a couple of times in order to get to the altitude needed to rise over the cliffs, and then drop down over on the other side to the cavern entrance. I watched the ground race past below me, and then took in the view as the glittering sea melted into my line of vision. Now that I was used to the movements of the board under my feet, it was easy enough to keep my balance that I could let my mind wander.

And, at that very moment, my mind was on the young Hylian boy I was about to attempt to aid. I remembered when I'd bumped into him back on Windfall island. He'd looked so small…quite helpless in fact. If it hadn't been for that sword strapped onto his back, I very much doubt I would have taken him for the type to be able to fight! Even for a Hylian, he looked to be quite small, and I wondered whether he would even be able to wield his own sword to full effect.

:Well, he must be able to do well enough…otherwise Red wouldn't have been quite so keen that I don't help him unless he falls into…how did he put it? 'Mortal peril': If Red was so sure of the boy's abilities, I supposed I might as well be too. :Sure, why not, just believe in the Hylians un-educated guesswork. That's sure to be right: I shook my head to clear these dark thoughts, and nearly lost my balance.

I wobbled slightly, and the Rito who was leading the way turned to look over his shoulder. I looked down quickly, and pretended to adjust my daggers at my waist into more comfortable positions. When I was sure that he was no longer looking at me, I looked ahead again. Since he had analysed me, I felt myself drawn to studying him also. I noticed that he was armed, with an impressive rapier-style sword in a scabbard on his back. With each wing beat, the shimmering metal of the sword beneath the worn wooden pommel glittered in the sunlight, and I thought I even saw a ruby set just where the hilt met the blade.

:He obviously must be a very important member of their tribe: I thought, also taking in the expensive looking robes he wore – they even had golden stitching around the hem. His short spiky black hair was encircled with a red and black scarf, which fluttered in the breeze created by each down-stroke of his mottled grey wings. It was quite entrancing, and I watched the banner-like strip as it caught the tiny breezes and curled in the air like a small, vibrant snake.

Tearing my eyes way from the intriguing lead Rito, I also (covertly) took in the appearance of the other two. They didn't seem to hold quite as high a status as the lead Rito did. Whilst they too bore weapons, they were but simple broadswords, both worn at the waist. Their clothes were of linen, rather than silk, and the one on the left had an impressive scar marring his curved, amber beak. With a start, I found that he reminded me of someone… :The Rito back at Opacus Isle! When all of this began! He looks like him:

"Right, there it is lads," the black-haired Rito proclaimed, "the cavern. We'll just slow it up, and then we can hover down; sound good?"

"Sounds fine m'lord," the one who looked like the man I'd saved said, nodding. "Hold on tight – we can't promise a perfect landing – especially not with all this cloud." I was about to ask 'what cloud', but then we were submerged in a steaming blur of evaporated water and smoke from the great Valoo's raging. :Oh…that cloud…: I felt foolish that I hadn't noticed it before, and fumblingly reached out to grab one of the ropes to hold onto as we descended.

The board was rocking more violently now, and I guessed that each of them must have been slightly disoriented by the cloud. It seemed as though they were slowing at different rates as well, because the left side of the board suddenly tipped down violently, nearly throwing me off altogether! It was only the grip on the rope that prevented me from being thrown hundreds of feet down to the ground below, and I thanked my training for the quick reflex grab I'd made during the fall.

The board pitched upwards again, and remained fairly level for a few more seconds. Then, there was a strange thumping sound, again coming from the left. Looking over, I saw that the silhouette of the scarred Rito was no longer hovering on the same level as me. I looked around frantically, and saw the shadow of one of them moving towards the front. I realised with a start when I saw the outline of a rapier that it was the high-ranking one.

:What-: suddenly, the board tipped again, and the Rito on the right cursed loudly, flapping his wings vainly to try and keep aloft, what with the extra weight that had been added to his charge. I reached out to grab onto a rope, but it was no longer there to grab onto!

"Damn!" I screeched, tumbling off of the board altogether this time, which was at an angle of about sixty or seventy degrees, and completely impossible to stand on – I managed to catch onto the edge of it, and my legs swung uselessly beneath me, throwing me off balance as we suddenly changed course. I still couldn't see very far because of the cloud, but I was sure that I saw the leader come around towards the Rito on the right.

A particularly dense wisp of smoke crossed my vision, and, when I next looked, I could only see the shape of the lead Rito, still pulling the board along. There was a sudden jerk, and this time, not only did the board pitch (to the right), it actually flipped all the way over. Now I was hanging onto the scrap of wood upside down, and, I managed to find the ropes criss-crossed over the timbers of the circular frame.

I grabbed onto them, and wondered exactly what was going on. :Surely they can't both have just passed out…? Does it have something to do with…: I looked up front, and saw in horror (now that we had cleared the smoky cloud), that he was fumbling with the rope around his waist. "Hey!" I yelled, as loudly as I could, struggling to gain a better purchase on the board, which was flipping over every so often, and pitching as wildly as a ship caught in a storm. "Hey!" I tried again, and he turned around to look at me.

He seemed surprised to see that I was still even on the board, and then smiled darkly. As though in slow motion, I saw the last of the knot being undone – he held the rope for a few seconds, the strain of all the weight he was holding obvious by the tensing of his arm/wing muscles. Then, just as he himself had begun to sink with us, he let go.

I blinked, and, still in that strange, slow motion speed, I managed to clamber atop the board, which was now sitting almost horizontally as it fell. Then, with a great crouch, and then a hard, very hard, push against the wood, I propelled myself into the air, towards the Rito. He smiled contemptibly, and then his eyes widened when he realised I was about to collide with him. :Don't dodge, just don't dodge: I closed my eyes tight, bracing for the impact.

It didn't come – at least, not in the manner I had hoped for. Instead, I clipped his outstretched wings. Quickly changing my strategy, I grabbed onto the mottled grey feathers, and tugged. He yowled, and whipped his head around to glare at me – we began to plummet downwards, just as the other two Rito and the balance board had. Then, not more than twenty feet from the ground, he managed to regain control of himself, and flapped his wings powerfully – this threw me off, and he managed to get me around the head as well.

:Oh Gods, not good. Definitely not good: I thought, as the world around me looked hazy. I tucked myself into a foetal position, and frantically searched around for the ground. I managed to find it, and, extending my legs a little so that they were bent beneath me, soles horizontal, I looked upwards. A pair of angry amber eyes looked back at me, and began to draw closer as he dive-bombed me.

No coherent thoughts entered my head, and I panicked when I realised I wasn't going to be able to change my trajectory in time to prevent him from colliding with me. I held up one arm, the other ready to land on, and managed to turn myself so that I was sideways on. Cringing, I looked straight down, ignoring my urge to pay heed to my attacker, and instead insuring that I didn't break any bones on this landing.

Only about five feet from the ground, he hammered into my side, and knocked me flying again, extending my flight by a few seconds and nearly thirty yards! I slammed into the ground, and rolled over a couple of times, before managing to get a grip and bringing myself to my feet. With a feeling of horror, I noticed pieces of shattered wood lying around on the ground, and a few, bloodied feathers. There was also a length of rope, and the hilt and shards of a broadsword just by my feet.

I ignored these as best I could, and all the gruesome things they implicated, instead returning my attention to the Rito who seemed hell-bent on attacking me. I had absolutely no idea why, but I didn't stop to question him when he came at me with his rapier out and flashing on the sun. :Oh Gods: I jumped sideways out of the way, all else forgotten as the calming silence of battle descended on my mind, so previously stuffed with worries. Now that I was on the ground, a terrain that I could easily traverse, I was able to get rid of all the emotions (which I shouldn't have allowed to overcome me in the first place), and concentrate on that glittering rapier point.

Taking into account his age (for he must have been at least in his early thirties), he was quite agile. Of course, having wings leant him an advantage that I didn't have. So, after a few seconds of dodging around his thrusting weapon, and a leap over his head to try and attack him from behind, I realised I would need to take a very different approach if I was to escape this alive. :Alas, not every creature can be as stupid as a Moblin.: I superimposed a different past situation over my usual battle-thoughts, imagining myself to be fighting another Sheikah.

And, this meant I'd have to be incredibly sneaky… :You may not be a proper Sheikah, but you're still a warrior by trade. Now, show him why he shouldn't pick on a Sheikah: With fingers that were riddled with splinters, I was still able to withdraw my whip, and clutch it tightly in my right hand, waiting for him to again lunge at me so I could put the weapon into practice. He seemed to find it quite a laughable defence, as an amused sneer came to his anger-twisted features.

"And what do you propose to do with that?" he asked, attempting to draw my attention so that he could hit me with his next attack. Of course, it didn't work, and with a swift movement that surprised even me, I nudged him in the back of the leg with my right foot, causing him to stumble slightly. Using the extra time this gave me, I took out some of my needles in my left hand, and deftly flicked them onto the hem of his robes.

They caught alight easily, and he looked over his shoulder with pure murder written on his face. By rolling over across the gravel-strewn ground, he was able to put the small blaze out. Standing up, he allowed me to see the extent of the damage I had done, which was a minimal amount of singing to the expensive material of his clothes. He held his weapon horizontally before him, and beneath my cowl, I smiled. :I don't think he realises what a mistake that was…:

Quickly, I flicked my wrist backwards, and then cast my hand forwards again, in much the same action used by fisherman when casting their lines. With this lazy movement, my whip snaked through the air, and wrapped around the gleaming metal. He blinked just once, and then attempted to wrench the weapon from my snare – before he could even realise my intention, I had sent magic sparking along the leather, and to his hands.

He squawked in a manner that could be likened to the call of a kargorok, and spasmed slightly as the contained lightning entered his body. When smoke began to rise from his palms, I stopped, and he dropped his weapon, quickly following it to lie on the ground next to it. I pulled my whip back towards me, coiling it up as I did so. The rapier came with it, scraping loudly across the rock, and I stooped down to pick it up from the floor.

A slight crunch of gravel underfoot alerted me that they my foe was not yet as defeated as I would have liked. I jumped to the side, and he cannoned past me, succeeding in running clean off of the edge of the plateau we had landed upon. I knew it would only be a few seconds until he regained himself and flew back up. With the rapier in hand, I looked about madly for the cavern entrance. :There: It was about two hundred or so yards away, a large pool of inky blackness leading into the mountain…

I began a mad dash towards it, echoes of sports events and training days in my head, and I mentally tried to count the seconds it took me to cover the distance. My personal record for two hundred yards was eighteen seconds, but I highly doubted that would be fast enough to avoid any further confrontation with my attacker. However, I was a little nervous about being quite so near to the edge of that cliff, so any distance I could put between it and myself was good enough.

Barely five seconds after his unfortunate fall, I heard wing beats accelerating towards me – instinctively, I ducked, but he seemed to be ready for such an action, as he swooped down, and managed to grab his rapier back from me. Again, I had to turn to face him, whip in hand. A contemptuous smile was once more on his features, and looking down, I realised quite why.

When he had grabbed his rapier, he had had to pull sharply upwards in order to break it free. In that one motion, he had succeeded in slicing almost completely through the leather strip – it was doubtful I'd be able to use it again in a hurry. Unless of course I wanted to lose the thing altogether. :So, genius…what now: I thought to myself, now running backwards in the general direction of the cavern entrance.

My dilemma, however, was solved very quickly indeed. At that moment, there was a tumultuous roar from the top of the mountain, and both myself and the Rito looked up, just in time to see the great dragon flailing its clawed hands in the air. Twin jets of red-hot fire exploded from its nostrils, and in his rage, Valoo managed to knock great chunks from the mountain-side. These came tumbling down towards us at great speed, some of them sailing through the air to rain down like hail on the ground.

I managed to dodge out of the way of them all, but the large surface area given by his wings meant that the Rito wasn't so lucky. One clipped his wing, and his rapier again left his grasp, clattering to the ground right next to the shards of the broadsword of one of the Rito he had :murdered: I realised suddenly. The thought that somebody could murder another of their own race was…unbelievable.

:How – how could anyone…want to do that: I thought, appalled at the notion. Then, a rock thudded heavily to the ground next to me, and I remembered the danger I was in. After casting a brief glance back, I assured that the Rito man wasn't going to be going anywhere soon (his wing was still trapped beneath the boulder that had grounded him). Then, clutching my less than perfect weapon in both hands, and continued on my way to the cavern.

Valoo's tantrum subsided as quickly as it had begun, and the sudden silence that descended was stifling… I could now hear the anguished groans of my attacker, and even a plea that I help him up. :Somehow, I think not.: I rounded a large pile of boulders that had collected at the bottom of the steep incline that led upwards to the mountaintop, and stopped dead in my tracks.

:Oh Gods…: I had stepped directly into a pool of a thick, gloopy liquid. I knew that, had I a mirror with me, I would be able to see that the liquid was almost the same colour as my eyes… Feathers swam in the sticky substance, and I hurriedly stepped back, leaving bloody footprints on the otherwise clean ground. I could just see the balance-board, which seemed to have survived the impact with the ground pretty well, lying atop two very still forms.

It was from these two that the pool of blood extended, running downhill, and as such, towards me. I sidestepped it, and refraining from looking at the horrific scene, crept on my tiptoes past the pool. After rounding another set of boulders, I let out a breath that I hadn't realised I'd been holding, and went back to normal steps. I'd never seen…death so close…before. And never… :So much blood. Everywhere…: I shook my head, and realised that I was already before the entrance into the mountain.

:It's a lot warmer here that it was back…: my thought trailed off, as it bought me back to the two bodies I'd just seen lying there, on the ground. I didn't want to think about that… Instead, I just clipped by whip back onto my belt, and took out my daggers instead – I'd have to fix it along the way. :Though Gods only know if I'll find the time.:

Advancing into the blackness, I noted that it got hotter the deeper I went. Soon, my eyes became accustomed to the gloom, and I was able to see that the passageway I was walking through had high, vaulted ceilings, and the bones of various small creatures lying around on the floor.

A noise up ahead caught my attention, and I stopped immediately, both arms extended to their full reach, daggers ready to slash at anything that should deign to attack. However, when I spied a small figure, in very much the same position as myself, only a few yards ahead of me, I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face. I watched as he slowly stood up, his sword already in his hand. :His left: I noted. He crept forwards, his footsteps quite light (well, for a Hylian at least). He trailed his right hand along the wall, and I remembered that Hylians' vision wasn't very good even at the best of times, and was non-existent in the dark.

I had to admire his bravery, because, for all he knew, he could be about to run into a whole clutch of ravenous wild-creatures. (Of course, he wasn't, but it was the principal of the thing.) He rounded a sharp bend in the tunnel, and I immediately slunk over to the wall, and slithered along with my back to it. Cautiously, I peered around the sharp corner, and my eyes were assaulted by sudden light. I blinked a couple of times, and my eyes adjusted to this new ambience.

:What's he doing: I wondered, watching him study the bones that littered the small chamber the corridor had bought us into. Rats were scurrying about all over the place, and I turned my nose up as a cockroach deigned to try and grab a meal from my shoes, still stained with blood. I crushed it silently underfoot, and turned my attention back to the boy. He seemed enthralled by all the skeletal bodies lying around him, and even paused to stare at a few.

Because of this, he had strayed away from the set path, and I wince as he exclaimed, "Oh Gods!" after stepping upon a skull and completely crushing it beneath his heavy kid-boots. This didn't seem to deter him from continuing to study the bones though, as he again paused to look down at one that seemed to grab his attention. I followed his azure-gaze, and nearly fainted at what I saw.

:Is that? No, it can't be. A…centaur: I leant even further around the corner, meaning that should he turn around at that moment, he would surely see me. I didn't care, because I was so intent on getting a better view of those bones. :Yes! It is…but they… I thought they were a myth…: Both my eyebrows crept up to the top of my forehead in surprise, and I stored the knowledge of this discovery in the back of my mind. :Firen is not going to believe this:

Unwillingly, I tore my eyes away from the amazing discovery, and watched as Rufus crawled up a pile of fallen rubble at the end of the room, and put his eye against a small hole that had been supplying light to the whole room. This, of course, left me in total darkness. :Which suits me fine…: With the boy occupied by whatever was on the other side of the pile of rubble, I was able to creep into the chamber, and make use of a small crevice in the uneven walls to hide in. From here, I was able to see that he seemed to have taken his hat off. His hair was messy, and matted with dried salt from his recent dips in the sea. It was also blond… :Which isn't common for Hylians: I remembered, calling up more textbook knowledge about his race.

He paused for a moment, his hands idly at his sides, and his breathing slow and steady. Then, as I watched, his hands balled into tight fists, before he splayed his fingers, and let out a long, low breath. Next, he set about shifting the rubble, making a lot less noise than I would have expected him to. Each time a shower of pebbles pattered down the mountain of fallen stone, I tensed, expecting an attack at any moment.

Strangely, the boy just grinned on these occasions, and carried on in his task. The hole in the wall was steadily widening, and I vaguely noticed that it was already big enough for me to crawl through. His frame, however, was much wider, and he carried on shifting debris for a few more seconds before being satisfied that the gap was large enough for him to get through. He groped behind himself with his left hand, and came across the pommel of his sword.

Then, he placed his left arm through the opening first, going on his hands and knees in order to crawl through. Then, he shuffled forwards, and abruptly dropped out of sight. A second later, I heard an ominous thudding sound, and the hiss of more than one bokoblin sounded out from the room ahead! Thinking that he might have hurt himself in his fall, I hurried over to the man-made fissure in the wall, and bent down to look through it.

To my relief, he was up on his feet, and had already engaged one of the two monsters in the room in battle. I watched as he made short work of the pointed stick his first adversary carried as a weapon, and was, as always, amused by the expression of acute stupidity on the creature's face. It tried to jab at him with its ruined weapon, but he sidestepped easily, and I could tell by the angle of his head that he had caught sight of the other bokoblin.

From where I was, half of my view was obscured by a large pillar in the centre of the room, which was holding up the roof. This meant I could only see one of the monsters in the room, and I wondered what the other one was doing. :I would go in, but he'd spot me right away: I reasoned, quickly drawing my face away from the light as he suddenly span around to protect himself from another lunge from the closest bokoblin. He managed to put a large cut into the wood, and when the beast pulled it away, it fractured altogether.

With mad outrage, the beast lunged again, this time without a weapon. A howl of annoyance escaped its lips, and I could see its eyes flash brightly in anticipation of the blood to be spilt. :And it will be yours: I thought dimly. My prediction was correct, as Rufus again sidestepped. Only, this time, he added an attack to his move, holding his sword horizontally with both hands on the hilt, and then spinning around at high speed.

I blinked as I saw the metal go through the middle of the bokoblin. :…! Wow! That sword must be… I've never seen anything like that before…: I thought of my own favourite weapon, broken and almost completely useless to me, and looked jealously at his. :It seems the flood-gates are open. Don't hold back, will you? Let one emotion through, may as well let the rest join them, eh: I ignored the voice, and watched intently, making sure that if my help was needed, I would be ready to give it.

To the left, I spied the second bokoblin, trying to hide in the shadows. Obviously, after seeing the terrible demise of one of its brethren, it had decided to give up rather than fight. Rufus went towards it anyway, his sword swinging almost merrily in his left hand. He let out a loud bellow of pure rage, and the creature, realising that it couldn't outrun him, tried to slash at his face with a small dagger. Luckily, he was small enough to be able to duck under the swipe, and easily drew his sword across the knobbly knees of the bokoblin.

It collapsed to the floor, crippled by his attack. Its dagger also fell to the floor, and Rufus noticed it with a smile. He discarded his own weapon in favour of the crudely shaped knife, and plunged the beaten metal straight through the creature's heart. This succeeded in killing it swiftly, so that it felt only a little pain in death. I smiled, and nodded at his merciful manner of killing. The body turned to dust a minute later, and he tutted as he stood up. "Shoddy workmanship," he said, obviously referring to the bokoblin's knife, which had broken as soon as it had entered the monster's flesh.

He rubbed the back of his neck, and shivered slightly. I could see the sweat staining the back of his tunic, as well as beading on his forehead. The fight seemed to have taken a little more out of him than it should have done…however, perhaps that was just because of the heat of this place. The headscarf around my hair was beginning to feel uncomfortably warm, and I thought about removing it. However, the factor of visibility was one to be taken into consideration, as I couldn't afford for my hair to get in the way whilst I was fighting. So, I left it where it was.

I watched Rufus walk over to the door at the far end of the room, which was padlocked shut. "The key has to be in here somewhere," he thought aloud, wandering back to the place where the first creature had fallen to his sword. He of course found nothing there, and turned back to survey the room perplexedly. I too looked around for anything that looked out of place, and immediately spotted some urns sitting next to the door.

:They don't seem as worn down as everything else in the room: I thought, squinting through the heat-haze. Whilst everything else in the room was covered in a thick layer of dust, they only had a light layer of the stuff on their smooth, porcelain surfaces. Most of them were full of water, and even from this distance, I could see the green scum floating on top of it.

Rufus seemed to see them a few seconds after I did, and bounded over to study them. He bent down towards one of the urns, his hands nearly touching the water. :Don't drink it: I thought frantically, and was glad when he seemed to think better of it, and stood up straight again. After that, he moved a little way away from the door, to the few urns that didn't have any water in them. He looked into each one of these, and judging by the expression on his face after he looked into the third urn along, he had found something worthwhile.

Boldly, he plunged his hand into the jar, but he snapped it right back out again. "OW!" He cradled his hand against his chest, and I was unable to see what damage had been done. He used his left hand to tip the container over, and it shattered on the hard floor. A Keese shot out of it, yellow eyes glowing, and a small tongue flickering out into the warm air, red with his blood. It bared its four tiny teeth at him, and he stabbed it quickly. Then, he looked at his wound again, and picked something out of the shards of pottery on the ground.

When he started back towards the door, I realised he must have found the key. He struggled slightly with the lock, which was incredibly rusty, but managed to turn it after throwing the whole of his weight against it. Then, he threw back the bolt so hard that it clanged against the wall, and leant his shoulder against the door to push it open. It made a horrible grating sound as the old hinges were forced into a new position.

I took this as my opportunity to creep into the room, and slithered through the hole that he had made earlier in the wall. Then, with my back to the wall, I hurried over to the pillar in the centre of the room, using it as cover. Peering around on the shadowed side, I saw him pause on the threshold of the door, and tilt his head to one side. I drew back quickly, knowing that he was about to look behind himself. When he let out a small sigh, I knew that he hadn't seen me.

I allowed a few more seconds for him to go through the door, into the small corridor beyond. :Funny…I was expecting a cavern…: I gave a mental shrug, and then carefully leant around the pillar again to check that he had indeed advanced. He had, and I saw his stoop down to gather two rocks from the ground, no doubt to break through the rotten wooden door at the other end of the passage. I could see chinks of pulsating red light making their way through the gaps between the wood, and I guessed that behind the door must be the central chamber.

I noticed that there were more of those new urns lying about the place – one in particular stood out, if only for its size. :Why would anyone construct something so big? Unless…: As if on cue, the ceramic jar exploded, and out jumped an astonishingly intelligent-looking bokoblin. As my daggers were already in my hands, there was little I could do other than watch. :Don't get involved unless you have to: I reminded myself coldly.

Rufus had let out a short exclamation on the explosion of the pot, and I could see him reach down the small of his back with his right hand. Even from this distance, I could see the large chunk of the pot that had wedged itself into his flesh, and the blood that was slowly spreading across his tunic from the wound it had inflicted. He wisely discarded the idea of trying to pull it out, and turned his attention to the advancing bokoblin, which had twin scimitars of a much higher quality than any other monsters' I had seen before.

The Hylian stopped, waiting for the bokoblin to make the first move. I silently commended him as he managed to swing his shield from his back, and block the bokoblin's attack all in one smooth movement. :He obviously had a good teacher…and a great deal of natural talent as well.: The bokoblin moved faster than he did, so all he was able to do was block its blows. :But that in itself is pretty impressive for a Hylian…:

I noted that the bokoblin was backing him towards the door, and wondered if now would be a good time to cut in. :Just wait: I ordered myself, making my wending way to the first doorway so that I could get a better view. That meant I'd be able to ascertain exactly when (and if) my services would be needed.

I cringed when the bokoblin hit Rufus' shield with a double attack, which sent him flying backwards into the rotten door behind him. His face twisted in pain, as the shard in his back was no doubt pushed deeper, but a split second later, the wood buckled underneath his weight, and he somersaulted through the created gap – I wasn't able to see what happened to him after that, but the sound of him landing reassured me. :At least I know he found some ground on the other side:

The bokoblin quickly followed through the door, widening the hole in it, and consequently giving me a view-point to look through. What I saw alarmed me…the boy's arms were dragging, and his shoulders were slumped dejectedly. I rushed forwards, daggers raised, hoping to push him out of the way of the monster's next attack – however, the shards on pottery lying around on the floor slowed me down. One even managed to pierce the sole of my boot, and scratched along the entire sole of my foot. I had to pause, and watched in horror as my charge was about to be executed. :Some Sheikah warrior you turned out to be:

The distance between the boy and bokoblin was soon closed, and then – the speed of it amazed me – he dived out of the way, at the same time bringing one of his legs around and kicking her in the stomach. The creature stumbled in its sprint, and its heavy steel-capped boots thudded once against the wooden decking that made up the walkway, before it collapsed over the side and down. From the red glow, I guessed that there must be magma below, and I could hear the slight hissing pop as the creature hit the molten rock.

Rufus stopped, and put his hands on his knees, taking in a few deep breaths, before standing tall and looking around the room. He took a few steps forward, and I took this as my chance to get into the large chamber as well. I slowly edged through the splinter-ridden tear in the door, and noticed how the temperature of the floor, which had already been warm, now became almost unbearable, especially on my injured foot.

I reached out and grabbed onto the rough stone walls, finding suitable hand and footholds, and ending up in a small indent in the rock a good twenty feet up. There, I stopped, watching as the boy tried to decide where to go next. Leaning forwards, I became unbalanced (since I was favouring my uninjured foot), and had to literally throw myself back against the wall in order to prevent a nasty fall.

This of course drew his attention, and I hurriedly shimmied along in the alcove I'd found, using a small ledge in the shadows as my cover. He made his way over, and looked up, eyes intent as he tried to figure out what it was he'd just seen. I held my breath, and concentrated on creating the illusion that I was just another patch of the wall. With the improvements the Great Fairy of Western Fairy Isle had made to my amulet, the magic needed didn't drain me at all, and I felt just as strong as ever when the boy turned away and I could drop the guise altogether.

A low rumbling sound from the lake of boiling magma had distracted him; I hazarded a guess at what was about to happen, and when a column of fire erupted from below, I found out that my assumption had been correct. He turned his head slightly to the side, and then blinked, and focused his eyes directly on the spot where I was again. Luckily, as soon as the fire had erupted, I'd put my guise back up. He narrowed his clear, young eyes at me, and although I knew he couldn't see me, I still felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

He shook his head, and quickly looked over the rest of the cavern as well, obviously trying to find out what had made the noise earlier. He didn't lower his sword, probably worried that something was about to attack him, and walked back along the decking until he reached the end of this section of it. He paused, and looked at the gap between the section he was standing on, and the next section. The distance was probably about fifteen – twenty feet. :Easy: I thought, feeling sympathy for him because he probably couldn't jump any further than ten foot, at a push.

I began to traverse the walls of the cavern towards him, this time keeping my illusion up as I went, just in case I stumbled again on my injured foot. :You shouldn't have even injured it in the first place. You wouldn't have done, if you'd been paying attention to where you were going, you clumsy idiot: I was really beginning to despise that voice in my head, and I pointedly ignored it, instead paying attention to the movements of the boy.

He dropped all his belongings to the decking around him, and then took out a length of rope. I guessed that he wanted to shimmy down and move all the crates below so that he would be able to climb up on the other side. Quickly, whilst he was still tying the rope onto the wooden boards of the decking, I climbed hurriedly so that I was directly above the crates, and then I dropped down, landing heavily on right side, which was the side that wasn't hurt.

Then, turning around, I surveyed the crates. Looking up, I saw that Rufus was nearly ready to throw the rope down and be on his way. :Right, let's get this over and done with.: I rose both arms so that they were extended completely horizontally in front of me, the palms facing forwards and fingers splayed as wide as they would go. :Move to the other side of the level. Pile up next to the decking. Move over, pile up.: I concentrated solely on the wooden boxes, forgetting about my blend-in illusion as I tried to move the crates as quickly as I could.

As soon as the task was done, I looked up to see how the boy was getting on, and saw that he was looking down with surprise, directly at me. I realised I had let my spell waver, and quickly replaced it, fading out of his view. Then, I marched myself over to the wall, and leant against it, watching as he slid down the rope and landed gently on the rocky ground. I watched with a raised eyebrow as he walked around the whole collection of the wooden containers, knocking on the side of each one of them. Each time, a hollow sound rang out, and I wondered exactly what he was doing. However, I was quite unable to fathom exactly what this was supposed to accomplish, and merely waited for him to get on with it so that I could continue helping him.

He placed both of his hands flat on the lowest level of the crates I had set up for him, and began to pull himself up. I saw the problem even before his sharp out-cry of, "Ah! Damnit!" reached my ears. As soon as he tried to curve up the right side of his back, the shard of pottery still within his back twisted around, inflicting further damage on his back. "Ow – stupid thing!" he muttered, leaning heavily against the crates. I saw him wince with nearly every breath, and watched him delicately reach down into his pack for something.

He bought out a heavy-glass bottle full of some blue liquid. :What on the great sea is that: I wondered. With the bottle resting on top of the first level of crates, he then uneasily reached around to grab the shard in his back – it was covered in blood, and I saw the sharp object manage to slice a few cuts into his fingers as he yanked it out, with a loud yelp as he did so. With shaking and bloodied fingers, he uncorked the strange-looking blue potion, and took a tiny mouthful from it. He reached down, and smiled, which I supposed must mean the potion had done it's job.

"That's good stuff!" he proclaimed to no one in particular, wiping the back of his mouth with his hand. :It might be good stuff, but I bet it'll still hurt climbing up those things…: I looked around for something that might help, and smiled when my eyes fell on the perfect thing. There was a two foot crate just leaning innocuously in the shadows against the wall next to me. I grabbed it, and then pushed it with all my might towards the boy. He turned around, and the wooden container came skidding to a halt in front of him. He blinked dumbfoundedly at it.

"OK, who's there?" he demanded, once again casting his eye all over the cavern to try and find out where I was. Of course, he didn't actually think to look directly behind the trajectory of the crate, and I smiled wanly as he gave up. "Fine, whatever," he said, his annoyance clear in his voice – he seemed to realise this, and added, "Whoever you are, thanks for the help." I just smiled again, and shook my head slightly. :Cute kid.:

He stiffly bent down to pick up the crate I'd given him, and then made his laborious journey to the top of the pile, using the smaller box as a stepping stone between layers. As soon as he was onto the decking on the other side, he whipped his head around, probably hoping to catch me off guard. I just stayed perfectly still, casting my illusion to make doubly sure he wouldn't see me.

He shrugged, and hitched his bags into more comfortable positions on his shoulders, before carrying on along the walkway towards the bridge. I hurriedly climbed up the wall, and then decided to use the walkway as well, because the wall up here was quite smooth, and it was difficult to find good hand and foot holds.

The door that he was walking towards suddenly lifted upwards, and he stepped backwards in surprise. :How does that work: I wondered, as the door started to lower again, and then rise as he went back towards it. :How odd…: He walked through it, and I had to hurry forwards and creep in behind him, otherwise it would have been obvious when I entered, because the door would have opened up:This doesn't make it any easier.: As soon as I was inside, I made use of the rough walls, and climbed up to a high vantage point, from which I could look over the whole room.

Yet again, there were urns lined up against the walls, but, as all of these were normal-sized and filled with water, I didn't need to worry that he was going to get attack anytime soon. Finding that there were metal rings set into the ceiling of the room, I decided to make my way over to the other side of it. :I wonder what these are here for anyway: I thought as I reached out for the first one of them. As soon as I touched the metal, which was surprisingly cold, considering where we were, an image came into my head.

_The same room came to my mind, only, hanging from the metal rings in the ceiling were long iron chains, on the ends of which were wooden planks, forming a walkway across the lava and to the other side of the room, where the ladder was. As I watched, a congregation of monsters piled through the automatically opening door, and began to pile across these walkways – soon, there were so many of them that the wooden planks couldn't be seen beneath their scaled bodies._

_The chains obviously hadn't been constructed to take all this weight, and slowly, the links began to bend out of shape, and one by one, the chains snapped. Those monsters who hadn't yet reached the other side collapsed along with the walkways into the hissing pool of violent red below; some managed to use the bodies of their comrades to skip over to the other side, but most sank, screaming and screeching, into the boiling rock._

_I blinked, and shook my head to clear away the vision. There was a slight nauseous feeling in my stomach, probably bought on by all the death I had witnessed recently. Again, the sight of these two Rito, lying twisted and broken on the ground beneath the balance board came to my mind, and I bit my lip to contain a slight sob. :Get a grip – it's not like they were your kind: I berated the voice, answering it back angrily:No, but they were helping me. They didn't have to get me up here you know, they chose to:_

The sound of the Hylian boy's voice below stopped me from having a full blown battle with myself. "I have an idea." As I hadn't been paying attention to him for a while, I had no idea what he was about to do. He walked over to the urns, which were three deep against the wall, and picked one of them up, scrunching up his face as he put strain onto his back. Then, he tottered back over to the edge of the burning lake with it, and tossed the water onto the magma.

It landed with a hissing pop, and some of the rock solidified, giving him a perfect platform to use to get to the second island in the room. He hopped across, and the little platform disintegrated only seconds after his foot left it. :Good thing he's fast.: Whilst he was preoccupied with opening the disintegrating oak chest, I carried on to the other side of the room, clinging onto the metal loops on the ceiling with my hands, and keeping my feet pressed against the stone. By the time I reached the other side, and was able to lean against the wall again, the sweat was dripping off me, and my arms ached. :I haven't done any proper climbing in such a long time: I thought, silently engulfing as much of the stifling hot air in the room as I could.

Turning my attention back to the boy, I saw that he was holding a scrap of parchment in his hands, and was pointing at it with one of his fingers. Then, he looked up at the ladder (during which time I naturally cast my illusion), and then back at the paper, which I took to be a map. :Probably making sure he's going the right way.: After having ensured that he was, indeed, going in the right direction, he pocketed the piece of paper, and then picked up another jar of water, ready to create another platform for himself.

But, this intention was ruined when three Keese decided to attack him, trying to bite chunks out of him. With his hands full, he was only able to do one thing…and that was throw the water at them. This method worked quite well, and he dealt with them easily. Then, he picked up yet another container filled with water, and this time was able to throw it in the right direction.

A strange sound from behind me caught my attention, and I turned around to see a red globule of something wobbling along on the floor above the ladder. I scrambled down the wall, and dropped into the corridor above the ladder, managing to swing myself in so that I was behind the creature. :What's it called: I always wanted to know what I was fighting was called…it was a strange habit that I'd built up over the years, and not knowing the name of this creature really bugged me.

I took out one of my daggers, and swiped at it, cutting the jelly-like thing in half. It exploded with wisps of purple smoke, and left behind a small, tear-dropped shape piece of jelly-like stuff. :A chu-chu, that's what it was: "Wait!" called the voice of my charge, and I jumped, hurrying back into the dark corridor, my eyes quickly adjusting to the change in light.

I was going so fast that I managed to literally bump into a green bokoblin. It hissed at me, and raised its hackles, ready to attack. I just calmly stabbed it, and then pushed it over, running over to the wall and crouching down on the floor, making myself as small and un-noticeable as possible. Then, I cast my illusion, so that I looked like nothing more than a rock.

Rufus came around the corner, his blond hair wildly askew, and his eyes wide as he looked around. The body of the bokoblin began to disappear, and noticing that, he must have figured out I was still close by, because he called out, "Hey!" His voice echoed off of the walls, and then he called again. "Hey! Come on, show yourself – I'd like to know who's helping me!" I didn't move, and watched him through slitted eyes as he sighed huffily, and picked up the key that the bokoblin had dropped.

:You'll only see me if you need to lad.:

* * *

The first occasion where the boy truly needed my help, was when we had once again followed the path onto the outside of the mountain, and were carefully traversing it. Out here, my illusion didn't work so well, as I mostly relied on shadows to make it work. This meant that I had to make sure I kept myself out of sight as much as possible. :Which is even harder when you consider just how little cover there is out here.: All I was really able to do was to follow behind the boy, using the curvature of the path to my full advantage every time he turned to look over his shoulder.

The wind was very strong this high up, and I will admit to having to wrinkle my nose slightly at the – 'aroma', shall we say – that was carried to me from Rufus. His tunic obviously hadn't been made for wear in such warm climates, and the top half of it was almost completely soaked with stale sweat. I knew I was probably a little pungent as well, but at least my clothes didn't retain the smell like that tunic would.

After rounding a particularly sharp bend in the path, I had to suddenly draw back, because the boy had stopped only a couple of yards in front of me. Crouching down, I leant around the corner, and looked to see what had stopped him. It didn't take very long for me to catch sight of the large kargorok rising from a messy nest ahead. I knew from watching him that the boy didn't have any projectile weapons, and wondered what tactics he was going to use.

I saw him rolling some pebbles in his hands, and praised his ingenuity. He drew his arm back, and then threw his missiles…they didn't really seem to have all that much effect though, so he quickly took out his usual weaponry (being his sword and shield) and blocked an attack from the angry talons of the kargorok. He drew the first blood of the battle, but I could tell by his shuffling feet and uneasy blocks that he didn't have the first clue on how to fight an airborne foe. :Mind you, neither do I…:

I looked at the nest that the flying monster had come from, and saw that it didn't in fact contain any eggs or chicks whatsoever. :Odd…: the clashing of talons against metal bought me back to what I was supposed to be doing, and I observed the raging battle before me. A particularly harsh blow seemed to injure Rufus' shield arm badly enough that he lost some mobility. He groaned, and rolled the joint, and I could hear it pop slightly, and grate as the joint wasn't quite in place.

The kargorok kept him dancing around, and even at his impressive speed, it didn't look as though he was going to land any blows soon. The beast snapped its vicious beak at him, and he shuffled backwards, parrying it. He didn't notice the stony outcrop behind him, and fell over it backwards, which left him defenceless against further attacks. The kargorok moved to hover over him, and whilst it was distracted, I hurried forwards, and threw a fistful of darts into its ugly, oily black feathers. It looked at me, before dismissing me in favour of its 'ready to eat' meal. A second later, the needles explosive nature kicked in, and the creature dropped like a stone – right on top of the boy. He let out a scream, and I darted over to hide behind a handily placed boulder next to the locked door that led back into the mountain.

From there, I watched him tentatively open his eyes, and blink in a dazed way when he met the beady stare of the lifeless kargorok. He plucked one of my needles from its feathers, but it quickly crumbled away – looking down, I saw a needle reappear in my bag of them. :Ah, how I love self-replenishing weapons…: He pushed the huge black bird-creature off of his body, and then stood up, and dusted himself off. When he next rolled his shield arm, I heard another pop, and a sigh of contentment. :I guess that must have been his shoulder going back into place.:

Next, he went over and studied the empty nest, managing to come up with a key. :Ah, ingenious: He used this to open the door next to me, and then walked in – I heard a loud thud, which told me he must have walked into a wall. The sounds of 'ow', and grumbling as he blindly fumbled around in the dark confirmed this. I felt glad that he had left the door open behind him, and was able to quietly slip past him and delve deeper into the myriad of passages. Every time I cam across an enemy, I'd deal with it, and, after a short while, I came across a bokoblin that was carrying an unlit torch.

I killed the creature, and then lit the torch with one of my needles. Again, as if he had just been waiting for the right moment, I heard his voice echoing through the tunnels. "Where by the Gods is a torch when you need…one…" he trailed off, obviously having seen the light of the torch I was carrying draw closer. When I heard the sound of his hurrying footsteps, I placed it onto the floor, and then retreated into the shadows once more. He seemed disappointed to find himself apparently alone, but gratefully picked up the torch anyway.

As per usual, he looked around the entire area, trying to seek me out. And again, he failed because of my use of illusion to trick him into thinking me just another outcrop of the wall. Having given up, he carried on through the passageways, and I followed him as closely as I dared. Now, my injured foot had dulled to an almost non-existent throb, so my movements were a lot surer, as I was able to distribute my weight evenly again. Even so, the uneven floors of the place did mean I would often have to flatten myself against a wall and cast a quick charm in order to prevent myself from being seen.

* * *

The next time that we emerged from the mountain's interior, it was already in the later afternoon, which meant we had been trawling our way through the place for a good few hours. High above, Valoo was displaying another tantrum, roaring in pain and spouting bursts of fire from his nose and mouth. The outburst stopped as quickly as it had begun, and the dragon whimpered, looking to the side of the island that was in shadow. I could see great, pearl-like tears rolling from Valoo's large intelligent eyes, and I felt sympathy for him, as he was so obviously in pain.

Yet again, my attention wasn't allowed to linger for too long, as a shrill feminine voice shrieked, "NO! Let go of me, let go!" At least, I think that's what was said…Hylian is a hard language to grasp at the best of times, and when its being bellowed in such a high pitch, it's quite easy to mistake. However, the general tone of the voice made it sound like whoever it was, was being attacked, or something similar.

Rufus didn't seem to care about the fact that the steps he was running up were crumbling and looked very suspect, as he literally flew up them, his feet barely touching the ground. I followed, at a slightly more sedate pace (which felt laboriously slow to me), and stopped a few steps from the top, lying full length on the ground, and peering out to see what was going on.

I could see a small Rito girl being dragged along the ground towards a cage that had wheels on it, as well as two lengths of rope that could be used to carry it through the air. The door of this was wide open, and the moblin that was dragging her along seemed intent on putting her within it. There were also two bokoblins (both green, which was why they weren't trying to kill one another), taking swigs of some type of ale from a brown bottle.

The boy called attention to himself with an act of bravery (and stupidity…) "Hey!" he called out, drawing the attention of the monsters, and… :Oh Gods…how did he even get up here: The Rito man who had attacked me earlier was leaning against the mountainside to the right, and slightly behind Rufus, which was why the boy hadn't seen him. His wing, after being crushed beneath a boulder, looked almost as good as new. "You there, put that girl down!" I began fiddling with my whip, directing a beam of magic at it in order to fix it. Since it was a magical weapon itself, it would take about a minute or so for the spell to take effect. :I hope that's long enough.:

"And why, pray tell, my dear Hylian, would we wish to do that?" the Rito asked, his voice silky and aristocratic. Which was certainly different when I thought of the battle cries I had last heard issue from his lips. He made his way over to his moblin, and I realised that he must be working with the monsters! He nodded to it, and it continued forcing the young girl into the cage. He was once again wearing a black cape, which caught the wind and fluttered out behind him, making him seem ridiculously large and overbearing in comparison to Rufus.

"Because…because…" the Hylian stammered, unable to answer with that steely gaze pinning him down.

"I see the Hylian eloquence hasn't been exaggerated," he jibed, chuckling cruelly. Then, in a firm, business-like tone, "Now, child, if you'll excuse us, we-" Rufus cut him off in mid speech, and I raised my eyebrow at his choice of words. :Well, someone's been reading a few too many adventure stories…:

"Look, I'm warning you! Let her go! You'll be sorry if you don't!" I had to bite my lip against the laughter that bubbled up inside of me. If that line had been so much as muttered within the bunk-house back at home, the perpetrator would have been laughed out of the place! The black haired Rito man seemed to pick up on this, and drawled sarcastically,

"My, my. If that isn't the most clichéd line of them all. What do they do, teach you all to speak like imbeciles, or is natural?" This rudeness shocked me, considering the fact that both of the people in the conversation didn't know one another's name. :However, wouldn't you sort of expect that from someone who had tried to kill you for no apparent reason: I agreed with my inner voice, and watched as the Rito man continued to advance towards my Hylian charge.

"I don't think you seem to understand my proposition. Either you unhand the girl immediately, or I will be forced to use physical violence against you…understand?" The Rito man just laughed again, which I found odd, since Rufus had managed to sound rather mature with his choice of words.

The small Rito girl (whom I had almost forgotten, what with my focus on repairing my whip and watching the man and boy square up to one another), bit the moblin that was carrying her, and succeeded in yelling a warning. "Judas, leave him alone you stupid brute!" :Aha, so that's his name: "Rufus, run, he's a maniac!" She was thrown roughly into the cage, and the door was chained closed behind her. Shakily she got to her feet, and looked desperately between Rufus and Judas.

Judas ignored her and the Hylian, calling to his co-workers over his shoulder, "Our transport should be here any minute now." Then, he turned around, and smiled down at Rufus in a superior manner. "Do you really wish to fight us, boy?" An emotion that I couldn't quite read flickered through his amber eyes, and the boy back up a couple of paces in fear. "It would be a pity…to waste such an…intriguing…boy, such as yourself," the Rito's voice was now a low purr, and I recognised the emotion that crossed his face the second time around… :Lust…: "Going to kill me, are you?" he mocked as my charge raised his small, light sword.

"Look, just back off, I don't want to have to hurt you," he warned, his voice wavering as he did so. Feeling a slight burning sensation in my hands, I looked down and saw that my whip was pulsing slightly, good as new. My magic had continued to burn without my notice, and as such, had skewed slightly and seared the knuckles of my left hand. I shook it slightly, and then uncoiled and recoiled my whip, ready for battle.

I saw Judas collapse to the floor after being kicked in the shin and tripped by the boy. The moblin and bokoblins milled around, seemingly unsure of their next course of action. They haphazardly ambled towards the cage that Rufus had run to, trying to cut him off. He slammed against the metal bars, and the girl inside reached out and grabbed his hand. "Look, just run," she urged, "No point in you getting yourself killed." Her voice was sweet and mellow, and held a touch of command about it. However, Rufus didn't seem to notice this, as he pointedly refused,

"I'm not letting these madmen take you to…wherever they plan on taking you!" He yanked his hand from hers.

"Please, just run – please!"

"Nope." He leant back against the bars, and began to run to the other side of the level on which he was on. I knew his intentions – draw the monsters over, and then possibly kick them over the ledge. :Only that wouldn't work with Judas: I thought, remembering when I'd attempted just that.

Suddenly, Valoo let loose with another temper tantrum, and the vibrations caused by his thrashing succeeded in making the boy trip over his own feet, as the ground was moving so much. The moblin, showing a burst of speed I wouldn't have thought possible for such a burly creature, rushed over, and grabbed him by the back of his filthy tunic. "Ow – let go!" he exclaimed, struggling within the iron grip of his captor.

"Do as he says," Judas told the moblin, and it nodded, before dropping Rufus back onto the floor, so that he landed heavily on his front.

"Ow, for the love of!" Rufus wailed, and clutched his nose, which had begun to bleed heavily. "You fu-" Judas cut him off in the middle of the swear word.

"Shut up boy," he commanded. "Moblin, put him in with the other one…then at least this whole charade won't have been a total loss for me." He stared openly at Rufus, taking in his rounded face and wide, stunned azure eyes. I shifted uncomfortably, feeling almost as though he was staring at my bare face as well as Rufus'. :How could anyone stare at someone else for so long and not feel uncomfortable, or rude: Then, I blinked. :I don't think he's worried about being rude, do you:

Finally, when I realised that there was no plausible (or indeed possible) way for Rufus to escape this situation and turn it around for himself, I stood up, and dashed to stand at the top of the stairs. Clearing my throat, I called out as loud as my restricted throat would allow, "Hey." Rufus lifted his head up, and stared at me, as did the moblin. Judas, however, just glared at me, and then raised his eyes to the reddening sky above.

"Oh, for Gods sakes, yet another hopeful adventurer?" I gleaned that this was more for the benefit of Rufus and the girl than me. He tore his eyes away from the sky above, and stared levelly at me, frowning. "And it looks to be a dyke at that." I raised an eyebrow at the common insult, and before I could restrain myself, had answered back,

"No, not a dyke, not that you'd be able to tell the difference between a straight or gay woman anyway. I'm a Sheikah, actually. Now, kindly, let those children go, and I'll not have to hurt you." I inwardly groaned as I realised I had picked up some of the boy's speech, and berated myself for sounding like a common idiot into the bargain. :You should really pay more attention to the rubbish that's been coming out of your mouth recently:

"What is it with all the fucking bravado?" Judas asked (or rather, screeched). "Look lassie, it's obvious you're suffering from PMS or PMT, and are, as such, having delusions of grandeur and heroism. Back off, before I give you a real warrior's death." :…I see he at least knows a little bit about our culture… Though I find it odd that he assumes I'm old enough to have started cycles yet…weird… And why do men always assume that when women are annoyed, that they're stressed with cycles:

Outwardly, of course, I didn't allow my annoyance to show, instead inviting him with the words, "Try it." I reached down and took my fixed whip in both hands, doing my best to look bored by the situation. :After all, I don't want to fight another battle where I'm quite so…out of control…: "Come on – not scared of a girl, are you?" I managed to even make my sarcasm sound more like a genuine question, and sighed internally as I fell back into my normal pattern. :If you keep going like this, who knows…maybe you will be worthy of your bandages fingers once more…:

"Never," the black haired Rito growled, withdrawing his rapier and holding it horizontally across his chest, his battle stance yet again perfect. From where I stood, I could see that a few of his feathers still looked a little out of line, but all evidence of the boulder-injury was gone. :He must have had some potion or something…

Noticing that he seemed to be hesitating, I goaded him into action, "Come on then." As soon as the words left my lips, he called over his moblin and two bokoblins, and then charged at me with his rapier gleaming in the dying day's sun.

* * *

_Feh. I don't like this chapter. But at least I got it done. Many cheers etc. I'm so incredibly sorry that I left this alone for so long, but, really, those Malfoy boys just don't know when to let go! Bats them off. Hopefully, now that I've gotten this chapter (which I always knew was going to be a problem chapter anyway) out of the way, the next one should be a lot easier to write. (Here's hoping, eh?)_

_So, for Lossemare, H7, WOLF ORION WOLFWOOD, Chibi Tetra (adorable ness right here people, look at the chibi!), crimson-88 (Linkness will come eventually) and Saria-Emerald… Here's the chapter, and have a whole bushel of cookies (let's pretend that makes sense, shall we?) as thanks for sticking around, and for putting up with my terrible uploading schedule._

_Next chapter to come soon. I'll try and make up for all the chapters I should have posted, but didn't._

_Bah…now onto the next chapter. O.o And I've already written ten pages today (to finish this chapter off). Wrist cramp, wrist cramp! (Sheik: You're not fooling anyone, you do know that, don't you?) Ah crap…it was worth a shot. Now, if you'd like to take your clothes off and sit on that stoo- is gagged by Sheik, who then goes off to raid her fridge._

_Review. I have a whole backlog of reviews I have to pay to the review monster, and he breaks legs!_

_Soda_

_PS: Make my day, point out any and all grammatical and spelling errors!_

_PPS: I'm not taking the piss, please do. I want to know if I've made any that I missed._

_PPPS: If anyone's interested in beta-reading for me, I'd love them forever, and I'd have their babies if they so wished. Adorable smile._

_Additional postscript: I changed the errors that Lossemare pointed out. Hugs her muchly. Thank you my dear!_


	11. Rufus: Taking Orders

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Right, so, in the last chapter, we got to see the 'friendly shadow' from the other side. Through her own clumsiness, she managed to alert the boy to the fact that he was being followed, and then, in the end, had to show herself anyway, in order to save him from a Rito man named Judas, who seemed to take a fancy to the young hero. Of course, we're just going to go and see how Rufus is getting along in that cage. (It's oh so wrong…and yet, oh so right…) :Smirk:._

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

_Side note: I've become addicted to this game called 'Pikmin'. So, if I start writing about carrots…hit me. Hard._

_

* * *

__**Rufus: Taking Orders**_

"Come on then," the girl said calmly, and Judas was happy to comply, his rapier glinting in the late afternoon sun as he prepared for battle. With one hand, he summoned over his 'minions', as I now thought of them. The moblin quickly stopped to throw me into the cage, and chained it shut, before going over to the scene of the impending battle. Medli grabbed onto my arm, but I shrugged it off, too intrigued to care what she had to say. :How's she going to fight all of them at once:

There was another tug on my arm, and I turned around quickly to tell her to stop bugging me. However, when I saw just how scared she was, all I could do was remember Aryll, and how scared she'd been in that cell, and how useless I was. I took a deep breath, and then smiled gently, putting one hand over the winged one on my arm. "Yeah, what is it?" I asked, listening out for the sound of clashing weapons…it was still quiet, which was weird…

"Who's that?" she asked, nodding to the girl wearing indigo. "Do you know her?"

I shook my head, "No. I have seen her before though – when I was on Windfall island."

"What do you reckon she's doing here then?"

"That's a good que-" suddenly, there was the sound of metal clashing against metal, and Medli let go of my arm so that I could turn around and see what was happening. She rushed forwards as well, and wrapped her small hands around the bars, nudging me over a bit. I obliged and made room, staring agape at what was happening before me.

Judas had taken to the air (which I thought terribly unfair), and was attacking the girl from above. The bokoblins were coming from either side in a pincer movement, and the moblin was heading for her straight on. However, she didn't seem at all worried, and, when she made her first real move of the battle, I could see why… One leap took her literally over the head of the moblin, and she threw a handful of small, shining needles at its back, where they promptly exploded, causing the large creature to howl, and fall to the ground, twitching slightly before becoming still. :So, that was her back with the kargorok:

This left her with the two bokoblins and the black-haired Rito man to contend with. He chose that moment, when she was still slightly off-balance from her landing, to swoop down, and swipe at her with his thin sword. She turned around, and just managed to duck under the swing, the metal only a hairsbreadth from her head. She carried on, and tumbled along the ground, getting up again smoothly after the manoeuvre. :Wow…: was all my mind managed to supply, and I leant against the bars of the cage more heavily as I tried to get a better view.

Suddenly, there was a clicking sound, and to my surprise, the cage door swung open. "How did that happen?" I asked aloud, scratching the back of my head in confusion. Medli, however, once again grabbed my arm, and hissed,

"Go and help her, it's three against one!"

"What about you?" I asked, slightly worried about leaving her there. "Are you sure it's safe over here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine – go help her out!" she shoved me in the small of the back, and then retreated to clutch onto the iron bars of the open cage door, using it as a sort of cover. I smiled at her, and she returned it, pointing to the battle sternly. Following the unspoken order, I took my sword and shield from my back, and went to meet with one of the bokoblins. The girl, whilst parrying with Judas, caught sight of me, and I saw shock come into her eyes. But, then, she had to return her attention to the battle, as he tried to trip her. She jumped over the low swipe of his leg, and then managed to get him about the head with the hilt of one of the two daggers she now held.

When a hissing sound came from my right, I automatically swung my sword around. When I turned to follow its path, I saw, with some surprise, that I had managed to impale the creature without any effort… It struggled, trapped on the blade, and I pulled it out, reducing the monster to fine dust that blew in the wind. Medli cheered, and I looked briefly over my shoulder to ensure that she was still safe.

The girl was now running backwards, away from Judas, her feet moving so fast across the ground that I couldn't even see when her feet actually touched it! The other bokoblin was behind her, and about eight feet away from it, she stopped abruptly, and turned around so that she was facing it. Then, after taking less than a second to bend down and tense her leg muscles, she jumped… But, it was no ordinary jump – she must have flown up to nearly fifteen feet in the air, and as she came sailing back to the ground, she extended a leg out below her, the sole of it at a right angle to the rest of her leg.

The bokoblin looked up, and shock flittered across its face, just before her foot connected with it. There was a loud, sickening snap, and it fell over, disintegrating as soon as it touched the ground… The indigo wearing mystery girl landed in a crouch, the foot that had done the damage extended out to the side, and the other one underneath her. Judas landed as well, and I could see blood coming from the wound she had inflicted on his earlier with her dagger hilt. She swivelled around on the ball of the foot she held underneath her, and looked up at him, still having to crane her neck slightly over the distance between them.

"You can still give up you know," she offered, not even short of breath after all the exertions she had been through. "All you have to do is say the word, and this won't have to go on any further." Her voice was still soft, as gentle as it had been when I'd knocked into her on the steps in the market. :I could listen to her talk all day…: I thought dreamily, and then shook myself for being an idiot – even if it was just inside my own head!

"Give up? When the only reason you escaped alive the last time was due to a freak rock fall? I think not, somehow," he scoffed, swinging his weapon easily in a figure of eight motion. "Besides…I can't afford to lose my commission on this." He stopped swinging the steel instrument of battle, and I saw his eyes move towards the cage. They widened when he saw that it was empty, and he looked around desperately to try and seek me out. Medli had hidden behind the rocks near the empty barred box, so it appeared as though he'd lost both of us. :Hey, maybe I could help after all:

Readying my shield arm to take blows, and my sword arm to return them, I yelled out, "Hey! You, with the feathers! Looking for me?" The girl in indigo stared at me, but I couldn't read her expression because half of her face was still covered. I could, however, see her eyebrows lower, and suspected she might be angry. :Why? I'm helping her out: Judas launched seamlessly into the air, in a complete contrast to the take-offs I had seen from Quill, and I backed up a little, nodding to the young woman to attack him whilst his back was turned.

Keeping my eyes trained on the Rito man all the time, I started hurrying sideways as well as backwards, and threw one look over my shoulder to check that I still had room to retreat. The girl still hadn't moved, she was just standing there, staring, doing nothing at all… :What by the Gods is she doing: I wondered, now afraid that my plan was about to backfire on me.

It was when I came to the edge of the platform of rock, and had nowhere else to run to, that Judas alighted on the ground. He smirked triumphantly. "I see the Sheikah has decided to give up herself," he drawled, rapier held warningly. "Such a pity – killing her just won't be quite the same joy as it would have been in a fair fight." I growled at this, and darted forwards, short enough to duck beneath the rapier and shove my sword point to the underside of his chin. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked, looking down at me with those amber eyes…

They suddenly flew wide open, and stared straight ahead – there was a clattering sound as his weapon fell to the ground. I took a step backwards, sword still trained on him, but he didn't even look at me, just continued to stare right ahead, into the blue, blue sky. "Rufus, get away from him," the girl commanded, her voice sounding strained. :How does she know my name: I questioned, but didn't move. "Hylian, move!" she said again, this time sounding slightly angry.

I backed away a few paces, and then sprinted off towards the cage. Almost as soon as I reached it, I saw the 'Sheikah', as Judas had called her, collapse onto one knee, panting slightly. Her whip fell from her hands, and she quickly retrieved it, heaving herself to her feet with obvious weariness. Medli crept out from her hiding place, and her hand once more found my arm; her tiny fingers curled around my forearm, and she looked up at me worriedly, chewing her lip. "Is she all right?" she asked, indicating the girl in indigo.

"I don't know," I admitted… "I hope so…"

There was the sound of shifting gravel, and looking around, Medli and I saw that Judas had fallen flat on his face on the ground. The girl was walking towards him, whip held firmly in her right hand, and a shining dagger in her left. She paused, and made her way over to us. When she got nearer, I registered again how much taller she was than Medli and me. She looked down at us, blood red eyes framed by skin that was covered in a layer of sweat, and the few strands of blonde hair that had come astray from the headpiece she wore sticking to her forehead. "Rufus, I'd suggest you take this young lady further up the mountain. Finish helping the Rito – and I'll make sure this man doesn't bother you again."

"But…why? Why are you helping me, and why've you been following me? Who are you?" I could see Judas' hand extending for his shining blade from the corner of my eye. She seemed to see it also, and merely said,

"Just hurry and go. It shall be explained later."

"Wait – can't I at least have your name?"

"Come on Rufus, let's just get out of here!" Medli urged, tugging me along towards the main body of the mountain. I looked over my shoulder to try and see exactly what was going on behind us, but Medli managed to somehow grab my head as well, and turn my gaze so that I was watching where we were going. She led me through a small pass in the rock, that led to another, much smaller section of the plateau.

Here, she stopped, and proceeded to uncoil a length of rope from her bag. "Here, you're going to need this."

"Nah, I'm fine, I've already got plenty of rope," I told her proudly, beginning to take off my bag to get some.

"Rope? This isn't just rope – this is a grappling hook!" She finished taking the thing from her bag, and held it up, so that I could see the heavy metal hook attached to the end of the rope. "This is how all Rito get around before they can fly. We have to use these to get to Valoo so we can get our wings!" she explained, pointing up to some handily placed wooden bars, probably screwed into the rock to serve just the purpose we were about to use them for. "Do you want me to show you how it's done?"

Normally, if anyone asked me this question, I would have said 'no', and gone right ahead to try by myself. However, Red did say that time was important here, so I just nodded politely, and said, "Yeah, that'd be good, thanks." She smiled, and took out another of the grappling contraptions. She stepped up to almost the very edge of this level of the ground, and began to swirl the grappling hook around and around in a circle, holding it next to her, so that when it was at its topmost position in the circle, it was going towards the pole she was aiming for.

Then, she let go, and it arced perfectly through the air, and hit the pole dead on – the hook wrapped around it, and she tugged on it to make sure that it was secure. "Then, all you need to do is swing out," she said, jumping off and doing just that. She yelled back, "You need to climb up on top of the pole, and then go to the next one!" I gulped as she shimmied up the still shaking rope, and then stood on top of the pole, with obviously perfect balance, and repeated the actions.

Medli quickly reached the other side, and then called over to me, "Don't worry, it isn't too bad a fall if you miss or drop!" she assured me, and I walked over to see what she meant. Thankfully, she hadn't just been messing around – the drop from where I stood was only about six feet, and the hollow below was filled with slowly flowing water, that went underneath a rock arch, and then tumbled over a waterfall about twenty yards downstream. :So, as long as I don't fall over that, I'll be OK: I told myself.

I stepped up to the edge of the level, and began swinging the hook. On my first attempt, I managed to hit the floor, and myself. Medli covered her mouth with her hand, but was unable to stifle the giggle that came out. I tried again, and this time managed to get some momentum going – however, when I threw it, it fell short, and splashed into the water. I reeled it in, and tried again, letting out more rope this time.

And, as they always say, 'third time's the charm'. The hook sailed over the pole, and then snapped backwards, wrapping around it and creating a perfect grip for the rope. Then, after a deep breath, I did as Medli had done, dropping off of the ledge and holding onto the rope for dear life as it swung backwards and forwards. Panicked, I yelled, "How do you make it stop?" I thought I heard laughter, and screeched, "Laughing doesn't help!"

"S-sorry," Medli chuckled. "Just hang on and it'll slow down eventually – you went too fast, that's all!" She sniggered some more, and I managed a scowl when she next came into my field of vision. It took ages, but finally the swinging had subsided enough to allow me to climb up the rope, and sit on it. I didn't dare stand, because I knew I'd fall over if I did, so I performed the spin and throw motion sitting down – surprisingly, it went right first time, and I again dropped from my perch, and this time managed to swing all the way across, and land (quite gracefully I might add) next to the Rito girl.

"Great," I said, dusting off my hands. "Now…how do we get them back?"

"Oh, that's easy," she said, waving a hand. "Just tug on it really hard three times, and it'll naturally release – like this." She grabbed my swinging rope when it next came towards us, and then tugged on it three times – the hook unclipped, and I helped her drag the thing in and coil it up, putting it back in her bag. "I may as well look after them for now – we're going to have to go on together as it is, or else you wouldn't find your way." I was about to mention the map, but she grabbed hold of my hand, and started tugging me along, so I wouldn't have been able to get it out anyway.

* * *

"Medli, do you know what's making Valoo play up?" I asked, when we had stopped for a rest after an exhilarating climb up a very steep section of steps. Luckily, there hadn't been any monsters bothering us, but I hadn't heard or seen the indigo girl at all since we'd left her behind with Judas. She panted slightly, and looked over at me, shaking her head,

"No idea. I mean, there isn't anything wrong as far as I can see…" She chewed her lip, and both of us were jostled when Valoo threw yet another of his tantrums – they'd been becoming more frequent as we climbed higher. When it was over, and everything was quiet again, Medli suddenly seemed to have an idea. "Maybe – I don't know if this would matter – but, maybe if we checked the cavern below… I remember walking through it once when I was learning how to care for Valoo, and seeing his tail hanging down…"

"Do you think there might be something in there then?"

"Well, there could be. And that would explain why he's so angry – wouldn't you be if someone pulled on your tail?"

"I don't have one…"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, you don't, do you!" she laughed, and I joined in. "Sorry, I just keep forgetting… Well, let me tell you, it really hurts when someone pulls on it!" she pulled a face, and then we both laughed again.

"So…do you reckon if there was something, and we got rid of it, Valoo would calm down again?" I asked, looking out at the view the high altitude gave us. The climb up had been hard going, requiring the use of the grappling hook in several places. (I think Medli only used hers to keep me company, because her wings were already fully grown.)

"Well, we could always try. I mean…I think it would…yeah," she said, pausing in between each word to contemplate what she was saying. "I don't see why it wouldn't work… Yeah, we should try that!"

" 'We'?" I raised an eyebrow, and she frowned,

"Yes, 'we'. Why not? Don't you think I can handle it or something?"

"No, it's not that – it's just – it'd be really dangerous," I said, cowering slightly under her angry gaze. "And, well, I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything."

"But I could help you! I mean, two people would be better than one if you had to fight something, surely?"

"Not necessarily," Red's voice suddenly launched into the tense air between us, and Medli blinked, her mouth still open. I fished the stone out of my pocket, and held it up so that she could see it. "Hello Medli – this is the King of Red Lions," Red explained kindly. She blinked some more, and then raised one hand to mutely wave at the stone.

"She says hello," I interpreted, guessing that Red hadn't seen her gesture. She flushed slightly, and then dropped her eyes back to the green gem.

"…Right… Well, Medli, I'd suggest that you let Rufus fight whatever creature he finds in the cavern alone. Because, if he has to look out for you as well, then he might get very badly hurt because he's distracted. I know you mean well, but you've never fought properly before, and this would not be the best time to put your skills into practice…"

"But, what if I-"

"No buts, Medli. You may accompany Rufus to the cavern entrance, but then he must go on alone. Do you understand? This is as much for his safety as it is for your own!"

"…OK…" she said dejectedly, and I reached out a hand to pat her comfortingly on the shoulder. She looked up, and smiled wanly at me.

"Rufus, I want you to be careful, do you understand me? Keep your wits about you, and you'll be all right. You've come this far, and I have complete faith that you can get through this with ease," Red assured me. I just swallowed loudly, and remembered all the slip-ups I'd already made. :Gods, if it weren't for that girl helping me, I would have been a goner: Suddenly, I remembered back to the last time I'd talked to him through the stone. :He was talking to a woman back then…I wonder if…no…the voice wasn't right. It wasn't the same…but then…who is she:

"Uh…thanks Red," I answered, and then, before he could close the link again, I threw caution to the wind, and asked him about the girl. "Red?"

"Yes? I'm still here lad – what is it?"

"Uh…well… I sort of mucked up a bit earlier, and got into a spot of bother…"

"Oh, don't worry about that, nobody's perfect!" he chuckled.

"No, you don't understand… I mean, like, really mucked up. The only reason I'm still here is because some strange girl helped me. She was dressed all in indigo, and she came in and generally kicked butt and stuff…" There was a gasp from Red's end, and I again heard that woman's voice,

"Hah, should have known! That girl's a spunky one, that's for sure!"

"Red, who's that?"

"Who's what?" Red asked innocently.

"Red, don't play games, who was that?"

"I don't know what you mean Rufus," he said, this time sternly. "Look, there isn't time for you to waste – you need to get in there and sort out that problem now!"

"Red!" I protested, trying to goad him into staying, but he was already gone. "Damn it!" I threw the stone into the rock face in front of us, and it bounced back, still in perfect shape. "Stupid thing!" I stuffed it back into my pocket, and then looked at Medli, who had stood up and walked off a little way during my conversation. Her shoulders were hunched, and she had wrapped her arms around herself. She looked out to sea, to the west where the sun was just about to touch the ochre-coloured water.

As usual, I expected to hear a great hissing noise, and see a cloud of steam come up when the sun dipped below the horizon, but it didn't happen. Medli's eyes were unfocused, and her face impassive, and I wondered what she was thinking. I didn't dare to disturb her, after seeing her temper being pushed earlier. Instead, I enjoyed the view as well, letting the wind chuck about my unruly hair. :Wait! My hair: I almost swore out loud again as I realised what a prat I must look, with all this matted hair sticking up all over the place. As surreptitiously as I could, I slipped my pack off and grabbed my hat from inside, stuffing it onto my head, and holding it there with one hand.

Finally, after not much more than five minutes, Medli blinked her eyes rapidly, and looked over her shoulder at me. I'd gone back over to lean against the mountain-side, preferring the safe feeling of the rock against my back to standing right on the edge of the path. :When you don't have wings, it always seems sensible to stay off mountains altogether: I was surprised to see that she was smiling again, although her eyes were too bright. :She's not going to cry is she: I thought in panic. I'd never been too good with crying people…

"Heh…sorry about…all that," she said, crossing her arms behind her back and rocking backwards and forwards on the balls of her feet. "I guess all the excitement got to me… You know, be a hero and all that," she chuckled, but the sound was distinctly forced. "Just being silly I suppose…it's not like girls are supposed to fight anyway…not Rito ones at least…" she corrected herself, obviously thinking about the 'Sheikah' girl. "Well…anyway…I suppose I'd better take you to the cavern then."

"Medli…"

"Yeah?"

"Just so you know – thanks."

"For what?"

"For helping me out – I – I really appreciate it, you know?" I nodded my head to her, and she blushed slightly, turning around to carry on leading me towards our final destination.

"Don't mention it," she called over her shoulder airily. "Now, come on, before it gets dark – the monsters move higher up at nighttime, so we'd best move quickly."

"OK – hang on, just need to get my stuff." I reached down and picked up my bag, and then went over to where Medli was waiting for me, impatiently tapping her foot. When I was standing next to her, she grinned, and started striding off up the mountain, so quickly that I had to almost jog to keep up with her strides. :Why is it someone shorter than me can walk so much faster: I pondered, huffing slightly as we had to scramble over fallen piles of scree and other debris caused by Valoo's many tantrums.

* * *

"Is that it?" I asked quietly, unnerved by the silence of the area in which we stood. It wasn't hard to make out Valoo, sitting only a hundred feet above us, his red scales glinting in the light of the rising moon. The sun had now fully dipped below the horizon, and the sky was quickly turning from lilac to navy, with the stars popping into view all over. The dragon's claws had raked deep gulleys in the side of the mountain, where he had obviously banged his huge fists, and I gulped as he looked down at the two of us with huge, pearlescent eyes.

"Yeah, that's it," Medli whispered back, nodding to the ominous cave entrance in front of us. Menacing looking stalactites and stalagmites surrounded its edges, which made it look almost like a giant mouth. :Which is always a great analogy to make when you're already scared…: I shivered, the strong wind coming from the sea not helping matters. Medli's hand snaked to sit on my shoulder, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. "This is where I have to leave you…"

I turned around, and looked down at her. "You should go back to the city," I said. "It's not safe up here, and I bet Quill and the others are worried about you."

"Don't you want me to wait for you?"

"I…no, I could be in there for…hours… I just…think it'd be best if you went back." I copied her action and gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. To my surprise, she didn't protest any further, and just nodded.

"OK, I will." Then, as if to add to my shock, she threw both arms around my neck, and nearly pulled me toppling over with a hug. "Just be careful! Don't go getting yourself killed or anything!" I was tempted to tell her that that wasn't the most reassuring thing she could have said, but the sincerity and worry in her voice quelled my sarcasm.

"I promise I won't." I hugged her back, and then pulled myself out of the embrace. "Now, go on – I want to be sure you're gone and safe before I'll even think about going in!" She put her hands on her hips, and made a face, but then smiled graciously, and went over to the edge of the path. "Go on," I urged, motioning with my hands for her to go. She smiled and waved, seeming unable to speak, and then jumped from the mountainside, letting the wind whisk her away, and tumbling one loop through the air to wave at me again, before disappearing from sight.

:You'd better get back safely: I thought, lowering my hand from where it had been returning her waves. :Right…now to actually go in and kill whatever happens to be in there… I hope that girl's around here somewhere, just in case…: Feeling slightly foolish, I looked around, trying to see if I could spot her. :Don't be stupid! She managed to stay out of sight for all that time, and you think she's just going to be wondering around in plain view now: Sighing at my own stupidity, I made my way towards the mouth-like entrance, taking my sword and shield from my back as I went. The grappling hook Medli had given me was looped across my chest along with my bags, and it bumped comfortingly against the back of my leg as I walked along.

Just as it had the first time I entered the mountain, the heat eradiating from inside the passage was a great shock to my system, especially considering just how cool it had become outside. Here, as well as the rising temperature, there was a strange smell that became stronger and stronger the further I advanced. By the time I had come to the door that Medli had told me about, the stench was so strong that I had to use one hand to pinch my nose to stop myself from retching.

It was a cross between rotten meat and dead fish, as well as something that I'd smelt before, but I couldn't find a name for it. :What by the Gods is it: I thought, fumbling around for the key Medli had given me to unlock the door with. At least here, torches had been placed every ten feet or so along the walls, so I was able to see what I was doing. Directly above me, I heard loud crashing and booming noises, and guessed that Valoo must be in pain again – from behind the door, I heard a strange sound, like many pairs of legs walking along at once. :I hope there isn't more than one thing in there:

Finally, I found the large and ornate key I'd been given… I couldn't help but to stop and look at it for a few seconds, taking in the sapphires that studded the looped handle end of it, and the strange golden spirals that held them in place. Then, after preparing myself for whatever it was I'd find behind the door, I reached up and inserted the key into the keyhole. Then, I turned it, pleased to find that it turned smoothly in the well-oiled lock. There was a click as the bar inside the mechanism moved out of place, releasing the door, and inside the next room, everything fell silent.

Valoo abruptly stopped banging his fists and roaring, and I knew that the creature on the other side of the door knew I was coming…and it was waiting for me. "Well, here I go," I muttered to myself, grabbing the door handle and pulling on it, causing the door to slowly swing open towards me. Everything was still completely silent, apart from the occasional sputter from one of the torches on the walls, and the funny sound the hinges made as they reached the end of their reach, and the door stopped moving.

Peering around the heavy embossed metal, I looked into the room beyond, expecting to be attacked any second. :It's empty…: I registered the fact with disappointment, which surprised even me. :That's a good thing stupid.: But, really, it wasn't. :There was something in there only half a minute ago – where'd it go: All I could see through the doorframe was a large magma-pool in the centre of the room, and some grappling bars and wooden platforms around the edge of the room.

:Maybe it's gone upwards… If so then the grappling hook will be useful: I tried to cheer myself up with these thoughts, and I jostled the grappling hook so that the metal part was at the front, meaning that I'd be able to grab it easily if I needed it.

After a brief few moments of further hesitation, I tentatively made my way into the room, moving slowly and sticking to the shadows, trying to take in the whole room at once as I stepped through the doorway and into the room. It was larger than it had looked from the outside, and looking up, I could just see a vibrant red tail hanging from the ceiling, dangling through a hole in the rock. The whole room was lit by the light of the lava-pit, which bubbled and hissed in front of me.

:Where is it: I couldn't see anything living in the room, apart from the tail. A horrible thought came into my head as I looked around. :It's not invisible, is it: That would be too much to cope with! Swinging my sword a little, I walked over to the lava pit, and peered across the heat-haze it created, to the other side of the room. "Where are you?" I wondered aloud, stepping back from the red-hot rock, and casting my eyes over the room again.

I had just retreated to the wall, where I was looking up to gauge how far the distance was to the nearest wooden bar, when the light in the room change, suddenly flaring up so that I could even see the full extent of the roof. The magma behind popped and sizzled, and I turned around, thinking that some rocks might have fallen from the cracked ceiling.

"Oh my Gods!" I exclaimed, looking up to see a giant…thing…towering dozens of feet above me, the gaze of its one, green and purple eye, pinning me to the spot. It looked sort of like a giant centipede – only with a really thick-looking exoskeleton, and with much scarier looking mandibles around a mouth that I could have used as an archway for a temple or something similar. "Uh…nice monster…?" I tried lamely, raising my sword and wondering exactly what I was supposed to do…

But, the monster soon got bored of looking at me, and used its strong body to propel itself upwards and out of the molten rock (showing me that it was much bigger than I'd first thought). Using its sharp mandibles and equally dangerous looking pincers, it grabbed onto Valoo's tail, and bit down hard, tugging on it at the same time. Blood rained down from the newly inflicted wound, and the creature – whatever it was – lapped it up with a foul-looking black tongue. Valoo growled and roared above, banging his fists so hard against the ground that some of the roof broke off, and hit the monster squarely in the face.

It keened piteously, and clutched at its head with its deadly claws. Even from here, I could see that the falling rock had made a crack in the spectacular armour of the thing, and it gave me an idea… It fell back into the lava, sending drops of it sparking across the ground, one of which I had to dodge, lest I become a Hylian bite sized meal for this thing, precooked and all. It sank back beneath the glowing red liquid, and I took the opportunity whilst it was incapacitated, to take the grappling hook off over my head, and start swinging it around in a circle.

The creature was already beginning to get up again, and I threw the grappling hook wildly, praying that my aim would take it straight to the wooden bar above – to my luck, it did. I hurriedly made my way up the rope, and sat on the pole, now on an eye-level with the monster, which was now paying me more attention than the tail of Valoo above (which was still dripping blood). :Now that I have your attention…how do I kill you: I wondered, staring at it's one, huge eye.

Remembering what had happened when it had grabbed onto Valoo's tail, I wondered if I could emulate the same thing – because, well, it was obvious I wouldn't be able to do any damage whatsoever whilst that thing was still covered in that huge layer of armour. :So, how do I do that: I looked up at the swinging limb, and the creature followed my gaze. It seemed to have quite a short memory, because, as soon as it caught sight of the swinging tail, its eye went wide, and I swear it grinned.

I don't know how something with mandibles can smile, but it just did. And then, it gleefully reared up, ready to take a bite at the alluringly waving tail of the great dragon above. Again, whilst its attention was occupied, I took the grappling hook, and threw it to the next wooden pole sticking out of the wall – this bought me about halfway up the room (when I'd climbed the rope), and I was able to hop onto one of the many wooden platforms sticking out of the walls.

I heard the familiar screeching wail as Valoo's tail was again assaulted by the centipede-like creature, and felt the urge to be sick when some blood managed to splatter onto the side of me that was facing the centre of the room. :Gross…really, really gross…: I wiped the warm liquid from the side of my face with the back of my hand, and then had to quickly press myself against the wall when the pounding of the dragon's fists bought down more of the ceiling. Again, the creature was struck on the head, and this time, some of the armour actually fell off altogether.

:I think one more hit would probably make all of that stuff fall off… And then I could get its eye – I bet that's the weak spot. Orca always said eyes were weak spots for most things…: I waited with bated breath for the creature to rear its head again, keeping the momentum going on the grappling hook whilst I did so. :If I can make Valoo angry before it reaches up to bite him again, then maybe I can stun it long enough to get back down and inflict some real damage: That was the plan, anyway…

As soon as I heard movement below, I let the hook fly – it wrapped around Valoo's twitching tail, and pulled the rope taut, holding on as the member thrashed around wildly. Just as the creature was reaching up to get it, I tugged hard on the rope three times, and the hook released – there was a mad rumbling from above, and I stood with my back firmly pressed against the wall, and my shield above my head, as large chunks of the ceiling rained down upon me. :Please let this work, please let this work, please let this work: I repeated over and over in my head, as lumps of rock and debris crashed all around me.

When the noise had finally stopped, I crawled over to the edge of the platform I'd been standing on (which had been dramatically reduced by a lump of rock larger than my front porch at home), and peered over the edge. :There: The monster was lying deathly still on the ground, the only symbol that it was still alive being the harsh breaths it drew through its crushed mandibles. Its head was pinned to the floor by a large pile of rocks upon its neck, and that green and purple eye was rolling madly in its socket.

Carefully, I rappelled down, thankful even more than ever that I had decided to keep the grappling hook, rather than give it back to Medli. :I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have it…: When my feet touched the floor, I felt a great sense of relief that I wasn't suddenly snapped up and eaten. After retrieving the grapple, I turned around to look at the fallen monster before me.

Now that its head was on my level, I could see that the eye was almost as big as I was – the rest of it was just too big to even try to fathom, so I didn't. As I drew closer, it started thrashing around, and reached out for me with one of the arms that hadn't been pinned to the ground by the rock fall. I immediately slashed out at it with my sword, and the pincer on the end fell off, green blood staining both my sword and the ground.

The huge eye blinked at me, and I rose my sword above my head, ready to strike. :Don't.: My arms wavered, and I dropped my weapon. I just…couldn't do it… :It's defenceless.: I couldn't kill something that was incapable of fighting back. :But you have to – for the Rito.: I rose my sword again, swinging both my arms back to give me the momentum I'd need to stab down properly. Again, I paused, looking at the wide, slowly blinking eye before me. My arms shook, and my sword clattered to the warm floor behind me. :I can't…:

"Do it," a soft voice called from the door into the large chamber. I didn't even need to turn around to see who it was… She carried on, and I could hear her laboured breathing, even from this distance. "Don't let it fool you. It'll be able to get back up soon." By this time, she was already standing behind me, and she placed the hilt of my sword in the hands that were still trembling above my head. "Go ahead. Either kill it, or die yourself. It's your choice." I could feel those bright red eyes boring into the back of my neck, and I tightened my grip on my weapon.

:I'm sorry – I have to.: I stumbled forwards, tears suddenly coming to my eyes as I bought up my weapon for the third time. I let it linger in the air, staring into the huge, sorrowful pupil before me, and then swiftly bought my weapon down. There was a sickening squelching, popping sound as I embedded the blade deep into its eye, and then more green blood shot forth when I wrenched my weapon free.

The monster slowly began to turn to fine dust, and blew around the room in a wind that shouldn't have existed… The lava pool started to cool, and solid rock formed around the edges of the boiling lake, quickly spreading inwards until the floor was complete. I looked behind me to try and see the girl, but she was already gone. :It's not like I expected her to hang around anyway.: Tired, and slightly nauseous because of all the blood I was covered in (including my own), I swayed, and collapsed onto the floor.

There were hands there, hooking underneath my shoulders, and then picking me off of the floor altogether. The air became cooler, and I realised that we must be going outside. I felt the cool of the ground beneath my back once more, and caught someone's hand as they fumbled across my chest, searching for something. "The stone – where is it?" she asked, and I opened my eyes to see a vague outline above me, blotting out the stars.

I reached down, and nudged the stone from my pocket – she immediately grabbed it, and started speaking into it. By this point, fatigue caught up with me, and I just let my head loll onto the ground, knowing that this part of my adventure was over. :And a bloody awful adventurer I make as well, having to rely on a girl…:

* * *

_Grandma came into the house, holding a letter clutched tightly in her hands. I walked over to pester her, as I was really hungry, and she hadn't cooked dinner yet. "Grandma, I'm hungry!" I whined, tugging on her skirt – Aryll came over as well to back me up, now in the phase of parroting everything I said._

_"Grandma, I'm hungry!" she repeated, tugging on the other side of Grandma's skirt. This would usually make Grandma laugh, and then she'd tell Aryll to think of her own things to say…however, this didn't happen, and I felt a little put out that I had been ignored. Aryll let go of her skirt, and then looked at me with wide eyes, seemingly confused by the fact that we had been ignored. So was I… I walked over and grabbed Aryll's hand, and tugged her into the kitchen, where Grandma had gone. _

_She was sitting at the kitchen table, still staring at the letter in front of her. "What's wrong?" I asked (echoed by Aryll, though my little sister's voice was subdued). There was no response, so I reached up and took the letter out of my carer's hands. Struggling slightly with the longer words (as I'd only begun to learn how to read over the previous year,) I read what it said. When Aryll poked me, I remembered her presence, and read it out loud for her. _

_"The Voy– Voy–Voyager ship was caught in a typhoon on the Great Sea between – urm, something Isle and Windfall Is land – oh, Island! The ship's w-r-wreck-age washed up on shore along with surv…survivors. It is believed that no one else could have survived. Truly sorry… Somebody or other… And then there's a list of names, see?" I pointed out where the names were to Aryll, who looked at the paper without comprehension. I wondered why Grandma was so upset… Then, suddenly, I remembered the day my parents had left the Isle – the Voyager!_

_"Grandma! Grandma!" I grabbed her hands, and tugged on them until she looked at me. "What about mummy and daddy? Why aren't their names on the list? They're all right, aren't they?" Her eyes were very bright, and I realised she was about to cry. "They're not, are they? Are they…" I hesitated and looked at Aryll, who had become distracted by a fly on the windowsill. I lowered my voice. "Are they dead, Grandma?" She just sniffed, and drew me into a hug. _

_My parents were gone…_

"Is he OK? Come on, you have to let me in to see him!" A voice cut through my dream, and I abruptly came back to the world of the waking, though I didn't open my eyes straight away.

"No! The lad needs his rest – he's been through a terrible ordeal! Now, go away, before I have to call the guards or something!"

"But he's my friend – he'll need a friend to see when he wakes up!"

"No, I simply cannot allow-"

"Just let her through buddy, alright?"

"Quill, you know I can't do that, what if-"

"Just let her through!"

"Yes sir."

:Ow, my head…: I groaned, turning over and promptly managing to fall off of whatever I'd been lying on. "Ow…" I opened my eyes to see where I was, but closed them again when this caused pain to explode right behind my eyeballs.

"He's awake!" I finally managed to recognise at least one of the voices – after all, who could mistake Medli for anyone else with a voice that loud? I tried opening my eyes again, this time a little more cautiously. I could make out blurred shadows, but nothing more than that. "Rufus? Rufus buddy, how're you feeling?" Medli bent down next to me, and I was able to make out her shocking red hair through the funny haze still over my eyes.

"Eurgh…" was the best answer I could manage to muster with my aching head taking up most of my attention. That, however, seemed to be good enough for Medli, and she stood up again – the world was becoming clearer, and now I could see that I was actually back in the Rito city, in a bedroom somewhere. :This seems familiar somehow…: The thing I had tumbled from was actually a canopy bed, and Quill had padded forwards in order to help me crawl back onto it. A short Rito dressed all in white stood on the other side of the bed, cradling a glowing ball. :Prince Komali's room:

This revelation caused my head to suddenly start throbbing again, and I abandoned my attempt to sit up. "Here, Rufus, take a sip of this," Quill ordered, picking my head up off of the heavy blankets and tipping a cup up against my mouth. Obediently, I swallowed, and had to resist the urge to spit the liquid straight back out again, because it was so bitter. :Red potion: Almost immediately, I was able to open my eyes without it hurting, and I felt all my cuts and bruises begin to fade away. "Better?" Quill asked, smiling down at me and pulling the cup away.

"Much," I nodded, sitting up. I overbalanced a little, not having realised how much of my movement had been restored, and had to grab onto him in order to prevent another tumble off of the bed. :Idiot: I reprimanded myself, and I slowly let go of my grasp on his robes. He just raised an amused eyebrow, and then backed respectfully away when Komali shuffled forwards to stand in front of me. Medli was standing next to him, a fond smile flickering across her face as she nudged him forwards.

"Um…I…well…Rufus, I just wanted to say that I…what with everything that was going on, I was…well, you see, because of," he stammered, and I had a hard time trying to decide exactly where this was going to go.

"Komali, stop making excuses and get on with it!" Medli hissed, batting him around the head. The guards in the room, instead of pouncing on her for daring to physically abuse their future monarch, just sniggered slightly. Quill frowned, but remained silent. Komali looked over his shoulder at Medli's glare, and blushed slightly, before turning back to look me in the face, still stroking the pearl cradled in his arms.

"Right – sorry. What I mean to say is…Medli told me everything – and – from myself, and my people, I'd like to thank you for what you've done. And I'm sorry I was so rude to you."

"That's all right," I replied, managing a smile even though my head was still throbbing a little.

"And, well, seeing as you managed to figure out what was wrong with Valoo, I think it's only right that I keep my word, and listen to whatever rubbish," Medli coughed warningly. "Uh, I mean, listen to whatever you need to ask for." I blinked, and swayed slightly on the bed as the world insisted on duplicating itself and then overlapping, before returning to normal. :Great, double vision. Just what I always wanted:

"Well…to be honest, all I need is Din's Pearl, so that I can get on with my quest," I finally managed to answer, pleased that I sounded grown up about the whole thing. Komali's face fell, but he was again nudged by Medli. Regretfully, he extended his hands, and dropped the pearl onto the bed in front of me. I looked in wonder at the shining orb, and then picked it up. It thrummed slightly, and as the light pulsated, so did the temperature of the pearl, so that when it was dark, the pearl was cold, and when it was light, it was hot.

"Th-thanks," I stuttered, looking around for my pack so that I could put the beautiful thing away.

"Here, I guess you're looking for these?" Quill handed me first my sword and shield, and then my two bags, which had been placed on the floor next to the bed. A sudden though crossed my mind as I began strapping my weapons on, and I looked to Quill for the answer.

"How did I get here? The last thing I remember is being up on top of the mountain…"

Quill immediately looked away, and cast a sidelong glance at the chieftain, whom I hadn't noticed was standing in the room. He just shrugged, managing to maintain a regal look as he carried out the action. Quill looked back at me, and one corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. "Well, it was a little bit strange to be honest. I was down on the beach with Red, and then suddenly a girl started talking to him out of thin air. She said that you needed to be picked up from the top of the mountain, and to send someone straight away – so, since I was the only one there at the time, I came to get you."

"Did you get the name of the girl?"

"No…" he looked at me a little strangely, but then seemed to dismiss it. "Anyway… Red told me to say that, as soon as you're ready, you should hurry back to him. He said you two need to get going as soon as possible."

"Figures," I sighed, already resigned to the fact that Red was constantly in a hurry to go anywhere. "Where is he?"

"In the cove, where you landed," Quill said, again acting as a much-needed leaning-post as I scrambled off the bed and assembled myself into a position that was as close to standing up as I could manage. He didn't seem to mind holding me steady however, and for that I was grateful. "Perhaps you'd like an escort down there, hmm?" he whispered, with a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"If you wouldn't mind…"

"No, not at all. Come on, now that you're up you may as well get going. We all know what Red's like when he's worried," he rolled his eyes, and I laughed, immediately regretting it as it made me ache all over. Before I left, the chieftain held up his arm, and Quill carried on holding me steady as we spoke.

"Rufus, we are indeed in your debt," the chieftain said quietly, his eyes conveying the gratitude that polite conversation cannot quite express. "If you ever require our help for anything – anything at all – then all you need do is ask."

"Thank you sir – it's much appreciated," I said back, my head reeling as Quill finally ushered me out, and past all the royal portraits, into the main city. After that, it all became blurry again, though as soon as we made our way outside, my head cleared just enough for me to decide a few things. :And the first thing I'm going to do when we get to Red is get him to explain a few things:

* * *

_:Dies: How on earth are you supposed to make a boss battle where you use a dragon's tail as a swinging post to make the ceiling fall down believable? GAH! Stupid, stupid game! So, naturally, I changed it so that Rufus, in a rare fluke, managed to figure out how to kill the monster thing…and stuff. I'm sorry! But, really, look at the material I have to work with here:Strops ala diva style, and is promptly slapped by Sheik:. Ow! Oh…thanks. Heh…I needed that, huh? But…well, I apologise if that fight scene seemed a little – stupid. Because the game is stupid on that part. And – yeah, I'm shutting up. Sorry for the anticlimax… _

_Medli / Komali shipper has been bought out in me. Sad, but true. And I'm still a quivering Quill fangirl (notice how I had him look after Rufus and all that? I really need to get my fangirl nature under control, or this might spiral off into some bizarre side slash story. And that would be wrong. :Nods: Very wrong…and yet…:grins:.) And I'm still bad at fight scenes. _

_With love, and other such sappy stuff, Soda_

_For Lossemare. Because she's going on holiday soon, and I promised her a chapter. I just apologise that it had such a silly fight scene in it! I liked it all up to about page four – and then the boss battle just – gah. Silly Nintendo bosses!_

_Oh, and I've decided to write Rufus' past…because for some weird reason I would actually like a plausible explanation about where the hell his parents got to! (It also gave me an excuse to write an adorably stuttering Rufus…)_


	12. Shadow: Wisdom's Revelations

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter, we were all privy to some fighting…and…uh, some more fighting… And that was about it. Shadow came to the rescue of our dear little Hylian boy, and then managed to slip off without leaving so much as a name behind her. Rufus got to play with grappling hooks and kill stuff. What fun. _  
_(Does anyone else get the feeling that my summary man is getting bored with the job?)_  
_  
Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._ _This is for Lossemare…and H7 really ' Since I'm so terrible at updating and all… Many apologies, but the other fandoms took over for a while!_

* * *

**Shadow: Wisdom's Revelations**

I saw the burly moblin throw Rufus into the cage with the young Rito girl in it, and watched as the creature bolted the door shut. :I'm surprised it could figure it out…: I thought disbelievingly, knowing for a fact that the common moblin's brain is no larger than a grape, and about as useful… As soon as this task was done, it joined its two bokoblin comrades and Judas in advancing towards me. I held my whip in both hands, glad of the feeling of the complete leather instrument beneath my fingers.

Judas stopped before me, and kept his rapier limp at his side, just staring at me. I (albeit bashfully) levelled with his gaze, holding his eyes with a look of contempt. :I can handle him, no problem. He surprised me last time, but now I'm prepared.: I could hear the two youngsters talking to one another, and the Rito threw an ever-absorbed eye at the boy in green, a crooked smile on his face.

Then, he looked back, and it seemed obvious just how intent he was that he wouldn't be losing his 'prize' at any cost. It was a comforting thought that I was fighting for the greater good, but being outnumbered four to one (even if only one of your adversaries is actually any sort of threat) did concern me a little. This thought led me to an interesting, and actually rather practical solution.

Just as I had done earlier, I directed most of my concentration at the chain that was holding the cage-door closed. I still kept one eye on Judas, dividing my concentration in the way that I thought would be the best. The black-haired Rito shuffled slightly on his feet, seeming to tire of all this waiting – as I knew he would, he hurried forwards to engage me in battle, and I hurriedly flipped out one of my daggers to counter his attack. :Eight inches on a blade doesn't really seem like a lot when you're fighting someone with a weapon four foot long.:

He backed off, and took to the air, much in the same way as he had done in our earlier battles. This time, I didn't use my whip, knowing that it was likely I would damage it again, instead clipping it back onto my belt and taking out my other dagger as well. I span them deftly around my fingers to relieve the slight tension in my muscles, and then almost lazily waited for his next attack. To my left and right, I could see the bokoblins begin to move in, and the moblin was obviously coming towards me from in front.

My mind was still on the cage door even as I bent my legs slightly and then leapt over the head of the moblin coming towards me. I transferred both of my daggers to one hand for a few seconds, whilst I reached into my small pouch of needles. These I palmed, and then I threw them at the back of the large, lumbering creature, taking my mind from the cage door for a tiny fraction of a second to make the needles explode even more violently than they normally would. This soon reduced the moblin to a twitching wreck on the ground.

:Cage door open. The chain will untangle, the lock will open, and it will free the prisoners. Cage door open. Open. Chain undo. Open, now.: Judas swept down upon me whilst I was still unbalanced, making me have to drop into a rather uncontrolled tumble after ducking underneath his well-aimed swing. I managed to gain control of my move halfway through, and was back on my feet at the end of it. I made it so that I was holding one dagger in each hand again, and smiled as I heard a faint clicking sound…

"How did that happen?" I heard the Hylian boy exclaim in surprise, drawing my attention. Thankfully, the Rito man was too preoccupied with me to notice that his prisoners were about to escape. One of the bokoblins veered off, and, whilst fending off blows from my foe's rapier, I caught sight of Rufus, sword and shield out, ready to fight. I'll admit I was slightly shocked, but felt ingratiated at the same time. Seeing that I was distracted, Judas attempted to trip me with a cunning low nudge of his leg, but I leapt over it easily.

Annoyed that he would try such a simple trick, I reprimanded him as I would any of the other warriors I trained with back on Opacus Isle. I used the nearest blunt instrument to hand (being the hilt of the dagger in my right hand) to clout him around the head. He stumbled, dazed by the blow, and I turned my head just in time to see a bokoblin fall from the end of the boy's sword. The Rito girl cheered, and I grinned beneath my cowl in amusement.

I wasn't amused for long though, as Judas quickly regained his senses, and pressed on quickly towards me. I took the opportunity the space leant me (and the fact that Valoo's next tantrum was hopefully a long way away) and used it to my full advantage. At a steady pace that was just below my maximum speed, I ran backwards, most of my attention on visualising the ground behind me, and making sure than I didn't trip over backwards. The Rito man followed, but, on the ground, he was much slower than he was in the air, his wings a cumbersome nuisance to him when not in flight.

The second bokoblin was waiting with a perplexed look when I halted and turned in one move. Using the adrenaline that was now pumping through my veins, I tensed my whole body, and then let it suddenly explode upwards, my legs launching me like springs into the air. It was, by no means one of my better jumps, but it did give me enough momentum to break the neck of the monster on impact. I extended my left leg, which ended in the foot I had previously injured. :Just in case the stupid creature defends itself, I may as well use the foot that already hurts.:

The sole of my foot connected with cartilage and then hard tissue, crushing the nose before following through and tipping the head back so far that the vertebrae in the neck just snapped like dry twigs. I twisted slightly so that I didn't land on the body, and then landed in the standard position, with my left leg out to the side, right leg below me, a hand to steady myself, and the other ready with one of my daggers in it. A brief glance showed me the monster's body disintegrating quickly, and I craned my neck upwards to look the angry Rito man in the face.

Feeling a lot braver than I had in our first confrontation, and sure again of my merits as a warrior, I offered him one last chance. "You can still give up you know. All you have to do is say the word, and this won't have to go on any further." I kept my tone utterly sincere, even though I suspected my offer would be rejected. As usual, my suspicions were confirmed when he ridiculed the idea.

"Give up?" he echoed. "When the only reason you escaped alive the last time was due to a freak rock fall? I think not, somehow." He moved his impressive (and no doubt expensive) weapon through intricate patterns in the air, managing to look bored, angry and contemptuous all at once. "Besides…I can't afford to lose my commission on this." His eyes flickered towards the now empty cage, and I took great satisfaction in the horror that dawned on his face. I could see the boy standing almost directly behind Judas, but the girl had (wisely) hidden herself from view.

Suddenly, the boy yelled out, and I scowled as he drew the danger onto himself. :Oh for Gods sakes! Couldn't he have just carried on like a sensible lad: "Hey! You, with the feathers! Looking for me?" Immediately, the Rito took to the air, and I knew that it would be ten times as difficult to combat him that way. Adding that to the fact that I now had to protect the boy from harm as well as myself, it wasn't shaping up to be a fair fight.

:Who said anything about having to play by the rules: I smiled, and then stared at the back of the soaring Rito's robes, picturing them becoming as heavy as granite. :Weigh him down, bring him down, pin him to the ground. Weigh as heavy as a large Temple pillar. Heavy as granite, fall like a stone.: I vaguely noticed the boy nod at me, probably wanting me to attack. But, so deep into the spell was I, that any other activity would have shattered it to pieces. I'd used too much magic recently, and even with the gifted amulet the Great Fairy had granted me, the spells were taking their toll.

I tracked the movement of Rufus by tracking the movements of the Rito man. They both moved across my field of vision, backing away all the time. Soon, the patterns on Judas' robes all merged into one blur of colour, and I continued to stare at his back, willing him to be weighed down. Sweat was beginning to form on my skin, and I balled my fists, which still contained daggers, tightly at my sides.

He landed, and I increased my efforts tenfold as he taunted the boy with words I couldn't make out. The boy ducked forwards, and I opened my hands, releasing the tension and sending it straight through my eyes to the Rito's body. "Rufus, get away from him." When the boy didn't move, I yelled again through my strangled throat, "Hylian, move!" As soon as he did, I became rigid just as Judas did, and when he fell forwards onto the ground, I did as well. I managed to catch myself on one knee, and kept a hold on my weapons.

I heard the Rito girl enquire after my health to Rufus, and forced myself to stand up again, panting slightly to get back the air I had forgotten to breathe whilst casting the spell. The youngsters cast their eyes towards the fallen Rito, and I quickly change the trajectory of my course towards the two of them. I was particularly aware of the boy's interest, as he stared at me openly and without embarrassment. :It must be a Hylian thing…: I had to look down upon both of them, which felt odd considering I had spent most my battle craning my neck upwards…

"Rufus, I'd suggest you take this young lady further up the mountain. Finish helping the Rito – and I'll make sure this man doesn't bother you again." I threw a glance at Judas, who would soon be getting up again.

"But…why? Why are you helping me, and why've you been following me?" he asked. Next was the question I'd been dreading… "Who are you?" I saw Judas' beginning to reach for his weapon, and so did the boy. Coldly, I told him,

"Just hurry and go. It shall be explained later." The Hylian didn't seem to want to take this as his final answer,

"Wait – can't I at least have your name?" I was spared having to answer than when the girl at his side sensibly tugged on his arm.

"Come on Rufus, let's just get out of here!" He didn't really have much choice in the matter, since he was being pulled along, but I was glad that the young girl had taken control of the situation. Now, at last, I could just worry about the Rito who was beginning to get shakily to his feet. Not wishing for any further confrontation, I used my remaining reserves of magic to envisage him tied up with lengths of strong rope, and chained into his own cage.

His rapier fell to the ground as he winked out of existence, and then appeared again in the cage a few moments later. I walked over to it, my legs slightly unstable as my strength poured out of me. I picked it up, and then once again collapsed onto my knees. Judas opened his mouth in order to taunt me, and I mentally gagged him. It worked well in real life as well… :So tired… But I need to help the boy… But I'm so tired…: I slumped forwards onto the ground, the filigreed hilt of the whippy sword digging uncomfortably on my wind pipe.

I rolled over, and found the ground, though hard, quite comfortable. Looking up at the reddening sky, I ignored the muffled protests of the black-haired Rito-man at his imprisonment. The clouds above were edged with delicate pink, and I reminisced about days spent like this with Firen and Delia, on the rare occasions when we were awarded days off, and we would sit on the beach, and stare at the clouds for hours on end. :How I miss doing that…:

I yawned widely, and bought my arms up to act as a pillow on which to rest my head. :Shouldn't get too comfortable… You'll have to get up in a minute anyway. Don't want the boy to get hurt because you're too lazy to shift, do you: I yawned again, and turned over onto my side, ensuring that I could still see the cage out of the corner of my eye even as I shifted into a more comfortable position, bringing my legs up close to my chest and staring with sleepy fascination at the shadows cast by the small pieces of gravel littering the ground.

:I'll just rest a little while, and then I'll go after the boy…: I decided, a third yawn escaping my mouth as I closed my eyes. Almost as soon as I had shut out the real world, the vision-world assaulted me…

* * *

_The helmaroc king was wheeling high in the red sky of the evening, it's keen eyes searching out something below. It looked over at me, floating along beside it, but seemed to dismiss me, ardently looking for whatever it was it had been sent to collect… For some reason, I knew that it **had **__been sent, though I didn't know how I knew at all… _

_It screeched in obvious delight as it spotted it's target (whatever it was), and it started to dive downwards. The view changed so that I could see along the length of its cruelly sharp beak, and I saw with horror the same plateau that I was upon. A dot of indigo caught my eye, and almost immediately, it began to stir, sitting up and looking directly upwards, the one uncovered red eye wide. :I can't believe I look so stupid…: I thought, just before I was bought back to reality with a severe jolt. _

I sat up quickly, and looked up at the quickly darkening sky; as I'd feared, there was a huge black shape silhouetted against it. Scrambling slightly in my haste, I stood up, and raced to the nearest outcrop I could reach, ducking behind it and pulling out a handful of needles at the same time. Peering around the stony pinnacle, I was able to see the bird slow in its descent, and hover expertly above the cage, it's talons working into straps made out of a combination of leather and iron, which had been attached to the top of the metal box.

Judas looked up, his amber eyes now full of fear – he rocked to try and get the huge creature to let go of its cargo, but it was to no avail. I felt a small sense of satisfaction when the gag I had placed upon him managed to come loose, and his terrified screams reached my ears. :Great, so now we have twisted forms of anger and revenge to add to the collection do we: I told the 'voice' as I had just that moment decided to call it, to shut up. The thin scrap of material that had been strapped over the Rito traitor's mouth fluttered to the ground, twisting beautifully in the soft breeze.

The smell of smoke caught in my nostrils, and I suddenly remembered that I should really get going. Briefly, I paused, dropping my effects onto the ground, and rummaging around for a drink – I pulled my mask down and took a swig from a glass bottle full of lukewarm water :lovely, before replacing the stopper. Then, I put the container back into my bag, and started traipsing in the direction that the two kids had taken, half-heartedly fiddling with my facemask before deciding to leave it down for the moment. The cool night air was very refreshing after all that time spent inside a steaming volcano, and I decided to take full advantage of it whilst I still could.

Only a few minutes into my hurried walk, a shrill scream cut through the dusky air of the oncoming night. This of course shocked me, and I yanked my facemask up over my nose, breaking into a run to see what all the noise was about. I skidded around a corner in the pathway, and then quickly slammed myself back against the wall when I saw a flash of green swinging wildly on the end of a length of rope. :What the-: The Rito girl was on the other side, obviously trying to contain laughter.

"How do you make it stop?" Rufus demanded, clinging onto the rope for dear life, and I managed to glean that he was trying to swing his way across the torrent of water below. :Thank Gods for that: I sighed quietly, and then sank down onto the floor, stretching my legs out before me and lazily leaning against the rock, watching as the boy slowed. "Laughing doesn't help!" he snapped as he began to climb up the now barely moving rope, and sat on the bar it was attached to. The girl apologised, and then waited impatiently for him to finally reach the other side.

When his feet finally alighted on the rock on the other side, I stood up once more, brushing a few bits of gravel and such-like from my back as I did so. Carefully, I leant out, just in time to see Rufus' feet alight on the other side of the huge gorge. "Great!" he said, dusting his hands off, and then turning around to look up at the rope, which was still swinging back and forth from the wooden pole above. "Now, how do we get them back?" he asked the Rito girl standing next to him.

"Oh, that's easy," she said airily, gently pushing him out of the way and stepping forwards, arms held out in order to catch the rope on the next swing. She leant forwards over the edge of the platform of rock, and I watched like a hawk, just in case she should lose her balance. Luckily, she didn't, and easily caught the rope of the next swing, grabbing it in both hands and holding it securely. Then, she nodded her head, signalling Rufus to come forwards and watch what she was about to do.

"Just tug on it really hard three times, and it'll naturally release – like this." She acted out the motions she had described, the rope going taught twice before the metal hook released its hold from around the wooden pole. It fell into the water below, and the Rito girl staggered a little bit, saved from a nasty fall when the Hylian took hold of the rope and helped her drag the grapple back in. "I may as well look after them for now – we're going to have to go on together as it is, or else you wouldn't find your way."

:It's nice to see a bit of teamwork: I thought, yet again wishing for some Sheikan company to keep me from going mad. :Keep you from it? Somehow, I think you achieved insanity quite a while ago, considering you now have voices in your head…: Again, I forced myself to stop thinking altogether, and watched the two young adventurers.

They started off again, Medli dragging Rufus up the mountainside, holding firmly onto his hand to ensure that he followed her precisely. I heard them begin to chatter on about things of little consequence, and tuned out from their conversation, now only preparing myself to leap across the gap in the path. It was quite a distance, and I didn't particularly fancy a swim, considering that the temperature was now dropping rapidly.

I rubbed my arms briskly, shivering a little with the cold, and waited for the voices of the two youngsters to dull into silence, before I dared to step out from behind my outcrop, and survey the gap properly. :It's not too far – just under my longest jump I suppose… As long as I get a good run up…: I took a step backwards, and bent my legs a little, once again gauging the distance just before I started to run.

A careless footstep reached my ears, and I ducked just as a feathered arm reached out to try and grab me. Instead, I grabbed onto it, and pulled whoever it was towards me, my arm around their neck. When I saw who it was, I let go again, and the Rito man (Quill) coughed, rubbing his neck. He glared at me reproachfully, and I looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry sir – but you shouldn't try to sneak up on a Sheikah. Our ears are very sensitive, so I heard you coming…" I explained, guiltily holding my arms behind my back.

"Do you happen to know what happened to the Rito who flew you up here?" he asked, crossing his fathered arms over his chest and looking stern. I got the feeling that he'd already made his own assumptions, and took a stealthy step backwards, getting ready to jump out of the way if he tried to attack me.

"The Rito who bought me here – there were three of them… The one called Judas attacked the other two in the air, and I believe it was his intention to prevent me from getting to the cavern altogether." Quill quirked an eyebrow, but I continued, keeping my voice level, even though I was panicking inside at the Rito man's insinuation. :He thinks me a murderer.:

"And why, pray tell, would Judas want to do that? He's one of the King's closest and oldest friends, and a loyal servant of the postal service, just as I am."

"He's working for Dragmire," I answered simply. "He attempted to kidnap Medli, the new attendant to Valoo, and was also intent on kidnapping Rufus before I intervened." The man before me looked as though I had slapped him in the face with the 'audacity' of my 'accusations'.

"How dare you insinuate he'd do such a thing! I believe Red was wrong about you – you're nothing but a lying little-" I reached forwards and grabbed him by the front of his shirt before he could finish insulting me. He blinked, seemingly surprised, and then stared directly into my eyes. I summed up the remaining, last little dreg of magic I had left, and laced my voice with a mesmer-like quality, which would make the Rito see the truth in my words.

"I don't lie," I told him simply, letting him go, and turning around. Looking over my shoulder, I saw him reel about a little, having to lean on the mountainside for support. :You shouldn't have done that – you're not suppose to use that unless you really have to: I reasoned to the 'voice' that in the circumstances I was in, it had been necessary. :I can't leave the boy all on his own, and I'll just have to explain this later, when there's time: I went back, and helped Quill sit down, making sure that he wouldn't stumble off of the path and to his death. That done, I turned around, assessed my jump, and made it.

I just reached the other side of the gorge, having to scramble a little in order to prevent myself from falling backwards. Then, I stopped, and had another drink of water in order to revitalize myself. Never before had I been in a situation in which I had no magic left whatsoever. I only had my training left to rely on, and even that seemed like it wouldn't be enough, if I considered my earlier clumsiness. :But you have to at least try: I reasoned with myself, starting the long, arduous climb to catch up with the youngsters.

* * *

When I did manage to catch up with the other two adventurers, I had a difficult time keeping my presence hidden, as Rufus kept looking over his shoulder, probably trying to spot me. Each time he did so, it was only through sheer good luck that I ducked out of sight in time – thankfully, Valoo's tantrums had shaken so much rubble from the side of the mountain that I had a lot of debris to hide behind. Without any magic left, this was all I could do to stop him seeing me…

The journey up the last section of twisting, turning pathway to reach Valoo was uneventful, punctuated only by the sudden and unpredictable explosions of violence from the red dragon guardian of the island. I had begun to try and guess when each of them would come, but the time-frames between each outburst were so wildly different that I wasn't able to at all.

Suddenly, the youngsters drew to a stop on a wide section of the path, sitting down on smaller boulders in order to rest. I crept as close as I dared, carefully stepping over sections of loose gravel on the ground, in some places having to half-climb in order to prevent myself from knocking any of the small pebbles and making a noise that would make my presence known. When I had gotten as close as I dared, I was able to tune into their conversation – to my surprise, I found that the two of them were arguing – or, at least, the Rito girl had raised her voice in outrage.

"Yes, 'we'. Why not? Don't you think I can handle it or something?" The girl launched herself from her seat next to the Hylian, and took a few paces forwards, before turning around to glare at him angrily, hands on hips.

"No, it's not that – it's just – it'd be really dangerous," he stuttered, and I smiled a little when I saw him cowering under her gaze. :Poor boy – he's not used to all these confrontations.: "And, well, I wouldn't want you to get hurt," he said, looking up at her meekly, "or anything." Medli's eyes softened, and she lowered her voice a little as she replied,

"But I could help you! I mean, two people would be better than one if you had to fight something, surely?" I just shook my head, and replaced my feet when the stones beneath my feet shifted slightly as the volcano beneath rumbled. :Not necessarily.: For a moment, I thought I'd spoken out loud, as both of the people before me stopped in their tracks and looked around with confused faces. However, when a second later Rufus started to fish around in his pocket, I realised that it was Red speaking through the stone he must have given the boy. :So now you can't even tell your own voice from others':

:Well, it's not as though I've spoken enough recently to know it well: I thought back at the voice, before realising that I was just fighting with myself again. I plied a stern pinch to the skin on my left hand, biting my lip as it drew me back to my senses. Looking up from the now-red skin of my left hand, I saw the Rito girl waving mutely to the green stone that Rufus was holding up.

"…Right…" Red answered, sounding perplexed, but he soon carried on. "Well, Medli, I'd suggest that you let Rufus fight whatever creature he finds in the cavern alone. Because, if he has to look out for you as well, then he might get very badly hurt because he's distracted. I know you mean well, but you've never fought properly before, and this would not be the best time to put your skills into practice…" The girl hastily tried to contest the decision,

"But, what if I-"

"No buts, Medli." Red's voice sounded firm, and I felt glad that he was there to tell the Rito girl what to do. :I wouldn't want to have to try and protect both of them at once.:

:Don't you think you'd be able to handle it then? Well, you probably wouldn't. you useless excuse for a warrior: Again, I forced myself to pay attention, dropping my eyes briefly to the skin of my left hand, to remind myself of the earlier pinch. The bare fingers taunted me greatly, and I thought about the bandages I had removed from them. :I'll only put them back when I think I deserve to wear them again: I decided.

"Uh…thanks Red," the boy said into the stone, and then quickly, he called him before he could close the link. "Red?"

"Yes? I'm still here lad – what is it?" the dragon-prowed boat asked anxiously.

"Uh…well… I sort of mucked a bit earlier, and got into a spot of bother…" he looked up as Medli walked off towards the edge of the path, and looked out over the sea, which was a spectacular ochre colour – the sun was just about to set, and the Rito girl closed her eyes as the gentle breeze washed over her. I could tell that she was upset that she wouldn't be allowed to help Rufus, but was dealing with it as best as she could. :Clever girl.:

Red just chuckled at Rufus' admission that he hadn't done as well as he thought he should have done. "Oh, don't worry about that, nobody's perfect!" Rufus just shuffled uncomfortably on his seat, and then lowered his face closer to the stone, also lowering his voice.

"No, you don't understand… I mean, like, _really_ mucked up. The only reason I'm still here is because some strange girl helped me. She was dressed all in indigo, and she came in and generally kicked butt and stuff…" I stifled a laugh at the last part of his confession of help, though :strange girl? That's not very polite: I let that slip, and jumped when Marie's voice filtered through the stone. :Marie! You fool:

"Hah, should have known! That girl's a spunky one, that's for sure!"

"Red, who's that?" the boy demanded to know, frowning accusatively at the stone.

"Who's what?" Red asked innocently, and had he been one of my students, I probably would have ridiculed him for his poor lying abilities.

"Red, don't play games, who was that?" Rufus repeated, now clutching the stone so tightly in his hands that I was surprised he wasn't hurting himself. :Or perhaps he is? And just too angry to show it:

"I don't know what you mean Rufus," the King of Red Lions answered, taking a fatherly tone. "Look, there isn't time for you to waste – you need to get in there and sort out that problem now!" Rufus' face told me that this wasn't the answer he had been seeking, and he protested strongly, yelling loudly,

"Red!" But, the link had already been broken, and furiously, he threw the stone at the part of the rock-face closest to him. "Damn it!" I was surprised by the ease with which the swear-word tripped off of his tongue, but, judging by the flush on his cheeks, he was incredibly angry. The green gem just rebounded, still in perfect shape, and he scooped it up, muttering, "Stupid thing!" He stuffed it back into his deep pocket, and then looked around, doubtless wondering where his companion had gone.

She was still standing at the edge of the path, her shoulders hunched and arms wrapped around herself. From where I sat, I was able to see that she was staring out at the swiftly setting sun, he eyes bright with un-shed tears. :No wonder I'm going mad, with all these emotions rampant everywhere… I wonder how the great Sheik was able to handle it: I took a pleasant few seconds to think about our greatest hero, and how he had helped the Hero of Time to rescue the ancient land of Hyrule, so many years ago now…

I too looked to the west, and thought of home. :I wonder what mother's doing right now? And I bet Firen and Delia are up to some sort of mischief without me! OH! Firen's crossbow – and his boots? What's he going to do without me there to look after the cupboard: I smiled at the ineptness of my close friend, and fondly touched a hand to my whip, which he had helped me to make about four or five years ago. :Good times…:

I started when I heard a rustling noise, and saw that Rufus was stealthily (at least, stealthily by Hylian terms) rummaging through his pack, looking for something. When I caught a flash of green, I guessed that it must be his hat, and when he put it on over his unruly hair, I knew my guess was right. :I don't see why he bothers, if he has to hold it into place like that: I thought, waiting with as much trepidation as he was for the Rito girl to finally speak, so that we could be on our way.

I was beginning to get restless, having always been one of those people who preferred to move quickly, whether or not they knew the destination, and tapped my fingers softly on the rock face in impatience. Finally, the Rito girl blinked, and tore her eyes away from the magnificent sun-set to look at Rufus over her shoulder. She was smiling, but I knew that only a few seconds before, tears had still be running tracks down her young cheeks. Her eyes were still bright, and taking one look at Rufus, I could see that he was a little apprehensive.

"Heh…sorry about…all that," she said sheepishly, rocking on the balls of her feet, and twisting her hands behind her back. "I guess all the excitement got to me… You know, be a hero and all that," she let out a forced laugh. "Just being silly I suppose…it's not like girls are supposed to fight anyway…" she paused, and then amended the statement, "not Rito ones at least… Well…anyway…I suppose I'd better take you to the cavern then." She sighed lightly, and turned to start leading Rufus up the last part of the mountain.

"Medli…" he began, drawing her attention back from the pathway we had yet to tread.

"Yeah?"

"Just so you know – thanks." He blushed as he said this, and I noted this with interest. :I know I shouldn't be fascinated, but I am. All these emotions everywhere, right out in the open – just…such an eye-opener.:

"For what?" she seemed genuinely confused.

"For helping me out – I – I really appreciate it, you know?" he stuttered, the crimson of his face deepening. Medli also blushed, and brushed the compliment off as brusquely as she could.

"Don't mention it. Now, come on, before it gets dark – the monsters move higher up at nighttime, so we'd best move quickly."

"OK – hang on, I just need to get my stuff." I looked around for his bag, and realised with a start how close it was to my hiding place. Hurriedly, I dropped down into a crouch, and squeezed myself beneath a slight overhang in the boulder I had been hiding behind. I could hear his breathing, and even his heartbeat, he was so close. I could also hear the tapping of the Rito girl's foot on the stone, and was glad when Rufus' footsteps moved away from me. :Far too close: I decided, waiting as I had before for the footsteps of the youngsters fade away into almost nothing before getting up to follow them once more.

* * *

As the two before me began to slow up, I decided that I'd prefer to follow next to them, rather than behind them. The whole area was rank with the traces of dark magic, and my senses were all going haywire, danger warnings sounding in my life. :This place is dangerous. I need to be there with them at all times now.: I looked around for a suitable stretch, and saw to my great delight that there was a narrow pathway about ten feet above, which by the ropes acting as handrails, I supposed must be used by the Rito coming up to get scales from Valoo. The best thing was that it ran all the way to Valoo's plateau itself, so would probably follow the path for long enough for me to stay with the youngsters.

So, I ran my hands over the appropriate section of the cliff-face, looking for some good foot and hand holds. Having found someone, I began pulling myself up the weather rock, all the while keeping my ears open, and casting looks around every few seconds to make sure my charge and his companion were all right. Despite the obvious danger in the air, the two of them were talking to one another with merry laughter punctuating the conversation. :How can they still laugh in a place like this: I wondered, finally pulling myself onto the higher pathway.

Suddenly, their laughs stopped, and I peered over the edge of my walkway, to see that they had stopped about two hundred yards or so in front of me. They were looking up at some sort of cave-mouth, which I was only able to see from my new vantage point, as it was on a dip in the pathway. Just like everything else, the dark hole in the cliff-side gave me a prickling feeling all over, and I hurried towards it. The closer I got, the worse the feeling became, until it felt as though there were insects crawling all over me.

I knew that there weren't, but I still checked to make sure. :Nothing – calm down and pay attention you coward: I looked down at the Rito and Hylian, who were still looking at the cave-mouth with something akin to awe. "Is that it?" Rufus asked, now quiet. :I suppose he must sense at least something about this place then…: He looked up, and I shifted so that I fell under the shadow of one of the posts that held the rope handrails in place. He didn't notice me, instead, tilting his head to look up at Valoo, who was sitting above, quietly whimpering. I too looked up, feeling a stab of compassion on hearing the pain of the creature's cries.

Now that the sun had dipped completely below the horizon, the sky was quickly turning to a deep navy blue, and I looked up to see the stars popping into view all over. Valoo's eyes shone as brightly as the stars above when he turned his pearlescent gaze on the children below – I saw Rufus shudder, and look away. Then, Valoo looked at me, and I stared into those huge eyes in wonder. He looked so…there was no other word for it…so wise. If I hadn't seen it, I'm not sure I would have believed any look could affect me as that did.

For, the critical voice that had been muttering things in the back of my head ever since I had started trailing Rufus, suddenly fell silent, leaving me with a gracious silence inside my own head. The dragon just nodded, and then whimpered a little as something obviously began to hurt. I tore my eyes away from the noble face, and looked down again, to see Medli with her hand resting on Rufus' shoulder. :How sweet: I thought, the idea coming unbidden. But, instead of reprimanding myself, I just let the thought stand as it was.

"This is where I have to leave you…" she said, sounding regretful.

"You should go back to the city," Rufus decided for her. "It's not safe up here, and I bet Quill and the others are worried about."

:Actually…: I thought, remembering Quill's unspoken accusation that I was a…:a murderer. Me? What could I have possibly gained by murdering those people? It wouldn't have served any purpose, nothing for the greater good – surely he knows a Sheikah would never-:

"Don't you want me to wait for you?" Medli asked, cutting my train of thought. She looked to the side, blushing once more.

"I…no, I could be in there for…hours…I just…think it'd be best if you went back." The boy then copied her action by giving her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. To both our surprise, the Rito girl didn't contest this, and just nodded.

"OK, I will." Then, to the shock of Rufus (but to my own amusement), she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Just be careful! Don't go getting yourself killed or anything!" she warned him. :Perhaps not the most reassuring thing you could have said: I thought, shaking my head and grinning.

He hugged her back (a little awkwardly), "I promise I won't." He then carefully extracted himself from the embrace. "Now, go on – I want to be sure you're gone and safe before I'll even think about going in!" She disobediently placed both hands on her hips, and pulled a face, before then smiling graciously, and walking over to the very edge of the path. "Go on," he urged, using his hands to motion that she go.

She swallowed loudly, and her lip wobbled a little. She waved, and smiled tightly, before dropping from the edge and letting the wind take her away, helping her getting the lift she needed to be able to loop and then waved again, before disappearing from sight altogether. Rufus watched the dim sky for a few more seconds, and then lowered the hand he had been waving with to his side.

Next, he started looking around, much as he had back in the cavern, probably trying to seek me out. I ensured that the shadows were covering me properly, and pulled back so that I could only just see him. He gave up, and gave a dejected little sigh. Then, he looked around to the entrance to the cave beneath Valoo, squaring his shoulders and readying himself for a fight. He took his sword and shield from his back as he walked in, and I noticed with a twisted fear that the stalagmite and stalactites make the entrance look a lot like a great mouth.

:That's never a good omen…: I sat down on the edge of the path, ducking under the ropes, and dangling my legs over the edge. Then, I shuffled forwards, and let myself drop, rolling as I landed on the pathway below, and then managing to stand up again with little difficulty at the end of my role.

I looked up at the huge stalactites above, trying to ensure myself that they really were just stone. When they didn't suddenly spring into action and try to take a chunk out of me, I dared to step into the murky gloom of the passage cared into the rock. The sudden change in temperature, from the brisk cool of outside, to the clammy heat inside, was quite a shock. I pulled my facemask down, and fanned my face with my left hand as I walked along. With my right hand, I took out my whip, holding it ready to defend myself.

The thing that really hit me perhaps ten paces in was the dreadful stench about the place. It was a combination of the smell left by fire created by dark-magic, and rotting meat, as well as something I couldn't put a name to. I pulled my facemask back up, glad of the pomanders of lavender I had kept in the same drawer as my masks back at home. :I'd prefer to melt than smell that: I decided, tightening my mask a little bit, as it had become loose in all the strenuous activity of the day so far.

Light began to brighten again, and I realised that there were torches on the walls. :Damn: That meant that it was going to be very difficult to keep out of sight, considering that the walls were smooth, the ceiling low, and there was nothing to hide behind. All I had left was the curvature of the tunnel, which allowed me to walk a short distance, and then stop to wait for Rufus to move on enough for me to go again. I spent most of the journey crawling, rather than walking, as the light on the floor was less than it was higher up.

Valoo started up again, and I just stopped moving altogether, preferring to let Rufus get a little too far away from me, to being discovered, and having to explain myself to him. :After all, you need to let him do this on his own. Only interfere if he gets in real trouble.: I agreed with this advice, and sat with my back pressed against the wall, waiting for the tantrum to stop – pieces of the ceiling broke off and clattered to the floor, along with a great deal of dust.

When it did stop, I was covered in a fine layer of dust, and had to shake it out of my hair. There was a click, which echoed down the hallway. It sounded a little like a door opening… "Well, here I go," I heard Rufus mutter. Quickly, I moved forwards, running in a crouch, just in time to see him step through a door and into a large room beyond. By the glow, I could tell that the room he'd gone into had some molten rock in it somewhere, and, judging by the heat, there was a lot of it as well.

I tottered over to the door, and sat down; looking through the crack of around a foot he had left, I could see him looking around, trying to find his foe. The prickling feeling of knowing something was about to happen was almost unbearable, and I toyed with my whip to try and take my mind off the maddening itch. I leant my head against the metal, which was pleasantly cool compared to the rest of the room, and watched with tired eyes as the boy swung his sword around.

"Where are you are?" he said aloud, though it was more to himself than to…whatever creature was in the room. Though I couldn't see it, I knew it was there… He retreated to the far wall, and looked up, trying to gauge the distance to a wooden bar that was sticking out of the wall. :I guess he wants to go up to try and find it, or something like that.: But, suddenly, the creature made its position all-to-clear when the magma lake in the centre of the room suddenly pulsed, and then – _something – _erupted from the molten rocks, clumps of lava clinging to its body.

"Oh my Gods!" Rufus exclaimed, craning his neck to look up at the – _thing­ – _whatever it was! I wasn't able to see its face, as it was staring at Rufus, and all I could tell that it was simply _huge. _:There's no way he can fight it alone: I decided, starting to get to my feet. I heard Rufus lamely whisper, "Uh…nice monster…?" I stepped forwards, turning sideways to get through the gap he had left, but something barred my entrance.

I winced as pain shot through my left side, and tried again. This time, the pain ran through the whole of me, and I stumbled backwards, clinging onto the door handle to stop myself from falling over altogether. :What the-: I reached out a finger, this time watching as the tip of it became bruised, and the nail shredded. I pulled it back when the pain became too great to stand in silence, and looked closely at it. :Surely not…: I narrowed my eyes at my fingertip. :I…I'm not positive…but that looks like dark magic burns to me. But…why would it hurt me, and not him:

:Unless…unless it's trying to make sure I can't help…: This thought worried me, and I hurried back over to where I had been sitting before, looking out at the room – the giant creature was still paying too much attention to Rufus, and I willed it to leave him be. As if listening to my plea, it suddenly launched itself upwards, showing that it was even larger than I had feared, large strong sections of its body holding it up. Something red rained down, and judging by the boy's face, I knew it must be blood.

Above, Valoo growled and roared, and began to bang his fists on the ground again, making bits if dust and small stones rain down on me – inside the cavern however, right underneath the dragon's blows, large chunks of the roof were falling down. There was a piteous keening sound, and the creature collapsed back into the lava – I was just able to see a large chunk of rock on its head before it sank below the molten waves. Rufus had to hurriedly get out of the way as large globules of magma showered all over the room. :Be careful: I silently yelled at him.

Cleverly, he took advantage of the incapacitation of the monster, and used the grappling hook to start moving upwards. :Maybe if he can make it grab onto Valoo's tail a few more times, he'll daze it enough that he can get a good few hits on it.: The boy shimmied up the pole at high speed, and then sat on the wooden pole, now on what I guessed to be eye-level with the creature – it swivelled a little, and I was able to glimpse a large purple and green eye.

He stared at that great eye, and by his furrowed brow, I guessed he too was wondering how to kill his foe. He looked upwards, to where Valoo's tail was hanging through a crack in the roof, and the creature followed his gaze, one eye lighting up as it spied the tail. Obviously, it wasn't graced with a very long memory, because it seemed surprised and delighted by the twitching body part. It reared up again, and whilst it was moving, Rufus moved further up the room.

I had to move a little, and crouch a little in order to keep track of him through my small view of the room. Valoo screeched again, and blood splattered across the boy – he paled, and then pressed himself against the wall as large chunks of the ceiling started to fall again. The creature collapsed, and he looked over the edge of the platform on which he stood, waiting for it to come up again. As soon as the swirling magma began to move upwards, he let his grappling hook fly.

:Ingenious! And, that way, the tail doesn't actually get damaged anymore, but he can make Valoo angry enough to make more of the roof fall down.: I watched as he tugged on the tail, and then quickly retrieved the rope as the creature was reaching to get the tail. Rufus stumbled backwards and covered his head with his shield, crushing himself against the wall. I turned away as parts of the ceiling started falling down terribly close to him, and only dared to look back when the noise had died away altogether.

The dust cleared a little, and I could see the creature was pinned to the ground by a large portion of the ceiling, breathing harshly through its crushed windpipe. I felt a brief flutter of compassion, which was quickly stamped out when a few more drops of blood fell from Valoo's twitching tail. It's large eye was rolling madly in its socket, and for a few seconds focused upon me. I met the stare, and held it until the thing looked away.

Crawling forwards, I found that the magic that had been keeping me out was severely diminished, and with only a tiny sensation of pins and needles, I was able to creep into the room. I leant against the wall, and watched as Rufus rappelled down, and turned to the monster – it thrashed out an arm to try and get him, but he calmly cut it off. He walked over to the great eye of the creature, and raised his sword.

His arms wavered, and he dropped his weapon – he stared at the monster with pity. Then, he raised his sword again, swinging his arm back to gain enough momentum to stab the thing properly. :Go on, don't think about it…just do it.: Again, he stopped, this time letting go of the weapon altogether. It clattered on the warm floor, and his arms shook as he looked down at his hands. Throwing caution to the wind, I stepped away from the wall, and took a few steps forward.

"Do it," the overwhelming stench of the creature itself now that I was further in overwhelmed, and I found it difficult to breathe. And, combined with the panicked feeling dark magic inspired within me, it wasn't easy to force the words out… "Don't let it fool you. It'll be able to get back up soon." I was already standing behind him at this point, and I picked up his swords, placing it in his hands, which were still trembling slightly as he held them above his head. "Go ahead. Either kill it, or die yourself. It's your choice." I stared at his back, and then quickly withdrew.

:I know he'll do it. But I have to wait for him outside…: I hurried back over to the door, hearing the sickening sound as he stabbed his sword into that giant eye. I once more leant upon the cool metal of the door, and turned in time to see green blood shoot from the wound as he wrenched his weapon free – it hit him squarely in the chest, staining the dirty fabric back to the colour it should have been anyway.

I saw that he had tears in his eyes, and he stumbled away from the creature as it began to turn to dust, and the lava pool cooled quickly, turning into solid rock. He looked around, obviously hoping to find me still standing there. I felt sorry for him, and then worried as he swayed, looking down at his tunic, stained in his blood, as well as that of the monster's. He collapsed sideways onto the floor, sword falling from his hands once more.

I rushed back in, and grabbed him under the shoulders, and also beneath the knee, hoisting him from the floor, and staggering out of the room and outside once more. His sword I took up in my right hand, and held it awkwardly as I walked along. He frowned in his faint, and rested his head against my shoulder, allowing me to feel just how much warmer he was than he should be. :You'd better be all right boy.:

I set him down on the floor when we got outside, and started searching for his stone. He caught my hand as I reached down to search his pockets, and wouldn't let go. "The stone – where is it?" I asked, perhaps a little more harshly than I should have done, but I was worried. He blinked open his eyes, and looked blearily up at me.

He fumbled around, and then delved his hand into his pocket, nudging the stone out. I picked it up, and then had to catch his head to prevent it from crashing into the ground as it lolled to the side. "Red? Red, are you there, it's me!"

"Shadow? What is it? Is Rufus all right?"

"Yeah, he's fine – just passed out. But I think you should send someone up here to get him – I think he's got a fever or something as well."

"Where are you?" he asked, sounding as worried as I was.

"At the top of the mountain – outside the cavern beneath Valoo – the Rito will know where I mean. If not, then they should ask the girl…uh…Medli I think it was."

"Right – they'll be right there! Are you going to stay with the boy and come back with them, or-"

"No – for some reason, one of them seems to have gotten it into his head that I'm working against them. I'd rather come down on my own, if that's all right?"

"What's happened?"

"I'll explain later – for now, I'll get out of sight and keep a watch on Rufus until someone comes, all right?" I put the stone back into Rufus' pocket after Red agreed, and then went over to the wall, to climb up to the higher path, and wait for someone to collect the boy. He shivered slightly, and turned over, but seemed all right other than that.

* * *

Not more than fifteen minutes later, the same Rito man as had bought Link to the cavern, and who had accused me of murder, flapped into view. I had been in such a stupor, weakened by my lack of magic, and tired after the day's travel, so wasn't able to move out of sight quickly enough, and he hailed me. Tentatively, I jumped down from my useless hiding place, and went over to where he was scooping the boy from the ground, and throwing him over his broad shoulder. He blushed a little as I walked over, and studied his dust-covered boots.

"Lady…I just wanted to apologise for the way I acted earlier," he mumbled, still studying his feet. "I made assumptions, without knowing the full story; on coming back down the mountain, I saw the other two, and the board, and I…" his breath hitched in his throat, and he looked up at me, with tears in his eyes. "I am so sorry. I didn't believe you until I had seen it for myself, and I apologise for doubting you in the first place. It was just…a lot to take in, and I didn't want to believe that a man I had known for years would – would," again, he stopped, and looked back down at his toes.

On impulse, seeing as Valoo had imparted a part of his great wisdom upon me, and now I no longer berated myself so harshly for my actions, I touched him on the shoulder that didn't bear Rufus. "It's quite all right. I'd have probably done the same." He sniffed loudly, and then smiled a watery smile at me. Rufus suddenly announced his presence once more by sneezing loudly. "Oh! You'd better hurry and take him down to the City. I think he's got a fever of some sort…"

"Yeah – I heard that through the stone."

"Oh…I take it you heard everything else as well then?" I asked, reddening furiously beneath my cowl. He just nodded.

"…well, as you said, I'd better be going…" he finally announced, turning around and getting ready to take off. "Hang on." He turned around again and looked at me. "How are you proposing to get down? Do you want me to send someone to get you?" I just shook my head,

"No, thank you all the same. I think I've had enough of flying to last a lifetime. I'll be fine, I assure you."

"Well, if you're sure…?"

"I'll be fine," I said again, and then watched as he made quite a good take-off, probably because of the fact that he was trying to jostle Rufus as little as possible. I walked over to the edge of the pathway, so that I could watch them fly off, a fleeting flash of white and green through the night-sky. I sighed, and took a step back, stumbling a bit as my exhaustion caught up with me a huge wave. :I'll just find a Deku-nut, and get back down to the bay: I decided, and then remembered with a jolt that I needed magic to use them:Damnit: With a heavy sigh at my own stupidity, I sank to the floor, crossing my legs Indian-style, and contemplated just how I was going to get off this mountain.

"I suppose the only way really is the way I came," I decided aloud, looking back at the pathway, and scowling when I realised just how arduous a journey I had before me. :I should have taken up Quill's offer. Now I'm going to be trudging around all night.:

"Well, that would be one way – but there are others," a voice boomed above me, speaking in Old Hylian. Luckily, I had grown up with a mother always keen to make me fluent in as many languages as possible, and Old Hylian had been one of the major ones. I turned around, and swallowed hard, moistening my throat for the smooth sounds of Old Hylian. For some reason, I just knew that it was Valoo talking – :I mean, who else is there:

"There are other ways, Great Valoo?"

"Indeed there are… I must say, it's delightful to find someone that speaks my language quite so well. The new attendant knows enough, but her accent is terrible. Yours is very good!" he looked down at me, proud head inclined to the side so that he could peer at me with one of his eyes. I just blushed and averted my own.

"You're too kind, sir… I do not wish to seem rude, but I really need to get back to-"

"The King of Red Lions?" he guessed.

"Yes, that's right – how do you-?"

"He's an old friend of mine. And, yes, I suppose you'd better get back to him… However, before you go, I would just like to say that you should try to continue allowing your feelings more free reign. I just gave you a little taster with my magic of what it's like not to worry so much…however, it will not last forever." I didn't know quite what to say, and he seemed to realise this, and huffed in a great deal of air, before continuing and covering up the slight embarrassing pause.

"Well, anyway, let's see about getting you back down to that bay, eh?"

"That'd be good, your grace. So…how am I to get there?"

"Simple – just close your eyes," he said, and just before my eyes were fully closed, I saw him raise one of his large, clawed hands. "And, off you go." I felt my stomach lurch, and opened my eyes in wild panic as the floor (and everything else for that matter) disappeared. Colours swirled and merged all around me, the whole world seemingly melting into one swathe of shades and tones.

Soon enough, everything solidified again, and I could feel sand underfoot. Soft snores wafted on the night air, and when I looked to see where they were coming from, I saw Red snoozing gently on the water, his head dropped down so that it almost touched the waves. Marie was sitting beneath one of the trees on the sand, a fire merrily burning away, and was cooking some meat over it. It looked like a sea gull, and by the bow and arrows next to her, I surmised that she had just recently killed it.

"Hello," I called, walking over to her, the dancing light of the flames hypnotising me so that I felt even more weary.

"Hello there kid! Enjoy your adventures?"

"Yeah…they were grand." I answered shortly, dropping down on the sand next to her, and then lying back completely, head resting on my arms. "What's that you're cooking?"

"Sea gull – want some?" I thought about it, and then politely declined,

"No thanks…I'll eat when I wake up."

"Going to sleep already? Ah, but the night is only young!"

"And so am I. And the young need their sleep, as you once told me," I answered back, winking at her when she looked down at me. She just shrugged, smiled, and returned to her food, turning it over occasionally. I closed my eyes, and drifted off into sleep, now content that Rufus was safe, and I didn't need to worry about my job until the morning…

* * *

_Finally, eh? Again, a million apologies. I blame the long time between updates on writers block, and panicking about my exam results (got them on the 26th.) Also, the prospect of man-love was just too…tempting…to pass up. Giggles. I'm terrible like that…_

_But, here it is! Suspicious Quill, and then sweet apologetic Quill. I have Quill fangirlishness. He has a beak… There is something seriously wrong with me O.o_

_Will try to update more frequently. I think that, now I'm going back to college, I probably will, because I'll be busy, so I'll feel like I should be doing something all the time, as opposed to lazing around like I have for most of the holiday! In fact…off to start the next chapter right now!_

_Love and all that wondrous stuff, and this chapter was huge! Over 11,000 words!_

_Soda_


	13. Rufus: Feverish Continuation

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Dear God, is that an update I smell:Giggles: methinks it might be!_

_So, in the last chapter (which I had to re-read to remember where I left off), Shadow happened to help our dear little hero to defeat his first Temple Guardian, and to work up the courage to kill a creature that seemed defenceless, though it would have killed him without a second thought. Such morals are quite admirable in a boy so young and un-travelled, and Shadow admired him greatly for this. Also, thanks to the blessing of the great Valoo, all her Sheikah qualms about feelings have been numbed to the point of not caring, which is allowing her greater freedom than she has ever experienced before. _

_Now, however, we are going back to Rufus, who's heading back to the beach where Red is, in order to carry on his great quest! What of the girl in indigo? And who was Red speaking to through the green gem-stone? Rufus has many questions, and he is determined to have them answer. _

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

* * *

_**Rufus:Feverish Continuation**_

It was morning once more, so I was able to gather that I'd spent the night in the Rito City. As we walked back down to the bay, Quill explained the occurrences of the previous night to me, filling in the pieces I'd missed (as I was unconscious at the time!) "Well, you seemed to have a slight fever when I collected you – we thought the best thing would be to let you sleep it off."

I nodded, "Yeah, it worked well!" We smiled at one another, and then had to fall into single file, as we walked through the tunnel leading from the City to the other side of the isle. This hindered our conversation, so I spent the time in silent contemplation. After a lot of internal arguing, I dared to bring up a delicate. "Quill."

"Mmm?" he tilted his head around to look at me sidelong, knowing the path so well that he didn't even need to look at it.

"Did you know Judas well?"

"Yes…I did," he answered, sounding rueful, though also looking upset. "And considering what I was told by that-" he cut himself off, and looked shiftily down at the ground. "Well, anyway, I misjudged the man greatly; obviously, I didn't know him as well as I thought." I looked at him suspiciously, but didn't voice the millions of queries that popped into my head. :I suppose he's had more than enough trauma recently.:

Looking up from the ground (previously we had been walking a precarious stretch, but now I felt confident in the ground once more), I saw the sun was shining brightly, and there was nary a cloud in the sky. Glancing up, I saw the dark ashy cloud had mostly disappeared from around the mountaintop.

Next, I peered down at the beach, glowing golden in the morning light. Red jumped out immediately, vermilion against the deep turquoise sea… However, there was one colour that I'd been looking out for even since Windfall, that jumped out at me. The indigo-clad girl, who had been my saviour on more than one occasion, was next to Red. And standing next to her was the pirate woman who I'd met in the potions shop, talking to the other two!

Immediately, I broke out into a run, trying to ensure that I reached the three of them before the girl could pull a disappearing act again. Quill yelled after me, warning me to be careful, but I didn't bother to answer and sped up. :I hope he didn't spook the girl. I need to talk to her. And to thank her:

As I had feared, the girl and pirate looked up, spotting me immediately in all my filthy glory. :I'll need to wash the blood off my clothes before I next see Grandma: I thought, turning to the innocuous thoughts of home to stop panicking about meeting the mystery girl at last. The girl's body tensed, as though she was ready to run off, but the pirate put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. The girl nodded, and stood up straight again, eyes down turned to the bright sand.

I skidded to a halt before them, sending small showers of sand from my boots as I did so. The pirate-woman (whom I now remembered as Marie) immediately stepped forwards, extending a hand. "Lovely to see you again young man," she chirped as I reached to accept her hand. "I've heard tell you're shaping up to be quite the hero," she dropped me a wink, and then relinquished my hand after a hearty shake.

"Well, I don't know about that," I chuckled sheepishly, and scratched the back of my neck. "If it weren't for the help of Miss…" I left it hanging hopefully, and Marie's eyebrows knitted for a second, before she realised what I was getting at.

"Hey, lass, come over here and introduce yourself!" she called, and the girl turned away from a quiet conversation with Red. The part of her face that I could see still looked pale, but she slinked over gracefully, and extended a hand, a slight blush appearing on her ear tips.

"The name's Shadow," she told me softly, shaking my hand. Yet again, I was able to detect a funny hint of an accent – she spoke Hylian well, but there was just this…strain, I suppose. Like she wasn't used to talking Hylian… "I apologise for not telling you sooner, but there were more…pressing…matters."

"Don't worry about it," I answered, pleased to at least know her name. "I'm just glad to see you again, so I can thank you!" She held up a sinewy hand, and shook her head slightly, causing her blonde curls to topple from a loose knot at the nape of her neck.

"Please, it's no bother. It's what I'm here for." She dropped her hand, and took a step back, thus politely stepping out of the conversation. Marie was only too happy to retake her place, as I mulled over Shadow's words. :What she's 'here for'? Does that mean Red doesn't think I'm good enough to handle this alone: I scowled, feeling a little insulted. :Yeah, well, you couldn't help the Rito alone…you almost got yourself killed:

"…so Red says we can afford an hour or so for you to bathe and eat, before we have to get going," Marie concluded. I nodded, pretending to have heard all that she had said. She smiled, and lazily put a hand on her jutting hip, taking in a deep breath of salty sea air. "That's a grand breeze; pity it ain't in the right direction. Looks like we'll have to row our way or something Red," she tossed her head so that she was looking over her shoulder at the King of Red Lions, once more conversing with Shadow.

"Not at all," Red called back, breaking off his conversation with the girl in indigo to answer. "Rufus knows what I mean." :I do: Immediately, Marie focused her one piercing eye on me, her green and white hair whipping around her quizzical, smiling face.

"Well?"

"Uh…well…I…uh…" I began, searching my mind for something to do. Red let out a sound of unbridled frustration.

"The Wind Waker Rufus, the Wind Waker!"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, suddenly shedding my pack and searching around for the shining baton. I kept my head bowed as much as possible, so embarrassed by my own stupidity that I didn't want to look any of the others in the face. :Especially that girl. She's a much better fighter than me, and would probably make a better 'hero' than I would anyway.: Huffily, I drew out the Wind Waker, though when the sun glinted from its spiralled handle, I couldn't help but to marvel at its odd beauty. I waved it in the air, conducting as I had seen my Grandma try to conduct the other children in singing. Nothing happened.

"Red," the girl said, breaking the awkward silence with little effort and only a minimal amount of volume. . Looking at her, I saw that she was busy pulling her hair back from her face to tie it once more at the nape of her neck using a thin strand of twine. "I believe you're forgetting something – he hasn't been to see Zephos yet." Red inhaled sharply, and then barked out a laugh.

"So he hasn't! Rufus, do you remember me telling you about a shrine on the other side of the island?" There was the sound of padding feet behind us, and all four of us looked to see Quill, walking slowly towards us, swinging his arms and humming merrily. Noticing our scrutiny, he stopped humming, and hurried over, head bowed slightly. "Good morning Quill," the King of Red Lions greeted him jovially.

"'morning old friend," Quill nodded, and I noticed that he and the girl made eye contact for a few seconds, before both looking away, Quill somewhat bashfully. He quickly covered by asking, "Was that the shrine of Zephos you were talking about?"

"Yes, it was – ah! I've just had an idea!" Red smiled.

"What?" Quill asked, feigning annoyance but obviously intrigued.

"What-say you take Rufus to the shrine in order to learn something from the great Zephos? I can think of no one better, since he seems to favour your people so. It'd be good to have a Rito along, as far as I can see." Quill just nodded, and then looked down at me,

"Looks like you're stuck with me again Rufus."

"I know – how _will_ I cope?" I sighed heavily, and he nudged me in the shin with his toe, frowning and trying to keep his expression as such. When I heard the girl talk again, I looked up, curious. But, I didn't actually hear what it was she said, as she had bent down in order to talk in a low whisper to Red. He just nodded, and then looked up at Quill and me.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Get going – the sooner you have seen Zephos, the sooner we can be on our way!" I nodded, and then turned around, expecting that we'd have to traipse all the way back up to the tunnel again to get to the other side of the mountain. Quill caught my arm,

"Nah, it's this way now lad," he said, tugging me along the beach and towards a curve in the cliffs. "We can climb up a ladder and shimmy over to the other side, and that takes us to the cove right next to the shrine. Much easier than going all the back up there," he explained, falling into stride beside me rather than behind or in front, so that we could talk easily. Looking back, I saw that the pirate and the girl were moving in the opposite direction. :I wonder where they're going: I wasn't likely to find that out anytime soon though…

* * *

"There it is," Quill declared, sweeping his feathered arm in a great arc to indicate the sea before us. I followed his arm, and spied a small platform just peering above the wave crests, with two slabs of rock sticking out from it. There were the remnants of pillars at all four corners of the protruding rock, but it was obvious that the time and weather had taken their toll on them. "If you want, I could fly you over there," he offered, already beginning to kneel down so that I'd be able to climb on his back.

Taking another look down at my filthy clothes, I declined. "Nah, it's all right. I could really do with a wash as it is." He stood up straight from his half-crouch, and looked me up and down, only just seeming to realise I was, in fact, covered in both blood and grime. "I see you're the observant one," I jibed, pulling him out of his shock, and making him frown good-naturedly.

"Oi! I just didn't notice quite how – repulsive – you were…" it was obvious that he was jesting, and I rose to it in a similarly ridiculous manner.

"Moi? Repulsive! No, no my dear friend. This is the height of fashion on all the upper class islands like Windfall and Outset, don't you know?"

"Really?" he feigned shock. "Oh my, I am behind aren't I?" I quirked an eyebrow, and managed to spot a patch of some nasty looking swampy ground directly behind the Rito. I innocently smiled, and turned around, gesturing with my arm that he should lead the way to the shrine. Still with a look of amusement on his face, Quill bent his knees slightly in order to start taking off – and, in that one moment of unbalance, I pounced. Perhaps, in retrospect, I should have realised I'd end up in the puddle too…

With a decidedly disgusting squelch, Quill landed heavily on the marshy ground – taking advantage of my confused state, he nudged me off so that I, in fact, fell face-first into the mud. On hearing riotous laughter from above, and realising that it wasn't either myself or Quill, I froze. :What the-: Quill sat up next to me, and turning my head to the side, I noted that he was trying to look dignified. I, however, just scrambled around so that I was facing upwards, and remained lying down in the mud. :After all, I'm already filthy.:

"I leave you alone for just two minutes, and look what happens!" Medli exclaimed, settling to land gracefully before us. The Rito man next to me allowed a short flash of envy to flicker across his face, before tilting his head to the side as the girl before us giggled behind her hand.

"What, may I ask, is so funny?" he questioned, attempting to stand up, but slipping on the mud and collapsing once more. This sent a new wave of mud flooding over my legs, and a few speckles of the stuff splattered my face. Disgusted, I reached up and wiped the foul-smelling stuff away from my cheeks, wondering exactly what Medli was doing here in the first place. :Not that I mind seeing her again: I added mentally, grinning broadly as she sent a smile my way.

"Oh, nothing at all. Apart from the fact that you're supposed to be accompanying Prince Komali to see Valoo…and you're covered in mud. Other than that, there isn't really anything all that funny going on." Beside me, Quill groaned, and raked his hands through hair covered with mud.

"Ah. Crap." I turned my head to stare at him for the swear word. "Sorry," he murmured, suddenly serious once more. "Blast – here, Medli, do you think you could do me a favour?"

"What?" she asked, sounding fed-up, as though this were a common occurrence.

"Take Rufus to the shrine for me – please?" he clasped his hands in front of him to make the plea more obvious, and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, whatever! Just go and get washed off, and make it quick – you're meant to be leaving in an hour." She reached out a hand (albeit wrinkling her nose disdainfully as she did so) to help him to his feet. "I bet you wouldn't have turned up if I hadn't reminded you!" she prodded him slightly in the arm, and he just mumbled something unintelligible. Then, before beginning one of his famously bad take-offs, he turned around to speak to me.

"Well, Rufus, I might not see you again for a while lad. So…I suppose now would be a good time to say goodbye." He warily reached out a hand, and I reached up to catch it, and shook it. "Just be warned that I will have to wreak my terrible vengeance one of these days," he muttered, winking as he let go of my hand. I just nodded, and then began standing up myself, finding the slippery ground difficult to navigate. By the time I had reached my feet, Quill was already a few feet in the air, and I called hastily after him,

"'Bye Quill! And thanks for all the help!" Quill turned around in the air, and nodded to show that he had heard, before (not too gracefully) swooping up into the air and back towards the Rito city. Medli coughed slightly, and when I looked at her, I saw that she was staring at my state wide-eyed.

"What happened to you two?"

"Mud-fight," I answered simply, wiping some of the larger clods of mud from my clothes. She just nodded, gawking slightly.

"…right… _Anyway_… I suppose I'd best get you over to that shrine. You're all right to swim, aren't you? I'm not sure if I could carry you anyway, and when you're that covered in mud…" she trailed off, her meaning perfectly clear.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It'll give me a clean, won't it?" She chuckled,

"Good point!" She was about to leap into the air, when something behind me seemed to catch her eye. "'scuse," she said politely, walking past me and bending down to pick something up from the mud. "Oh, for Gods sakes, Quill is so _useless _sometimes!" she fumed, holding whatever it was she had picked up in clenched fists.

"Why?" I ventured.

"He's only gone and left the Royal Seal behind. And he needs that to be able to take part in the ceremony!" She groaned, and opened her hands, to show me a small golden circle with the same symbol as was on the pearl I'd been given earlier on it. The circle was attached to a fine gold chain, and it was obvious that it was very expensive. Medli pulled a face, and then looked out at the shrine. "D'you think you'll be all right if I just take you there, and then hurry back to give this to Quill. Useless idiot that he is…" Though the Rito girl's words were less than pleasant, she said them in such a fond way that a question popped into my head.

"Medli."

"Yup?"

"This is probably going to sound like an odd question…but are you and Quill related?"

"You're right, it is an odd question!" Thankfully, she chuckled, which lessened my uncomfortableness at asking something so stupid. "Why d'you ask?"

"Just…the way you two act around each other…I guess…" I trailed off feebly, studying my dirt-caked boots with interest.

"Heh – yeah, I guess we do act a bit oddly. But, nope, no relation. He's just like – urm – a really, really annoying older brother," she decided, looking down at the seal in her upturned palms. She was silent for around ten seconds, and then seemed to start. "Well, no matter, we need to get going to get to that shrine, or else Quill's going to look like an idiot – well, more of an idiot than usual that is!" I laughed with her, and then hurried down the beach towards the sea as she took off and hovered above, waiting for me.

Tentatively, I bent down and dipped my hands in the water. Finding it warmer than I had suspected it would be, I kicked off my shoes, and dumped my bag on the beach a few feet away from the lapping waves. Then I started wading in. "How's the water?" Medli asked from above, easily able to keep up with my slow pace.

"Not bad actually – I thought it'd be a lot colder."

"Nah, the volcano keeps the sea around this side of the island pretty warm," she called down, now flying ahead of me. Soon, the sand beneath my feet dropped away, leaving me treading on nothing. So, I began swimming, swallowing copious amounts of sea water every time I tried to answer Medli's questions. When she noticed me spluttering, she swooped down to a bare few inches above the waves, and giggled quietly,

"Sorry, I'll be quiet now," she promised, before swirling back upwards and watching over me as I paddled my way to the shrine. :Why is it that when you're swimming, things always seem to so much further away: I wondered, when I was picked up by a large wave crest, and was able to see that I wasn't even halfway to the podium of the shrine yet. Mentally sighing, I began a rather messy front crawl to try and speed up the journey – however, when this resulted in my head spending more time below water than above it, I had to rethink my strategy…

Finally, after what seemed to be hours (but was probably only ten minutes at most), my feet once again touched onto the sand. This allowed me to half walk, half swim the rest of the way up to set of steps leading out of the water and onto the podium. Medli set down beside me, shaking her head to remove the strands of hair that had been whipping across her face. "Well, here we are." She made a small gesture with her arm to indicate the whole stone platform.

"Yeah," I panted slightly, sitting down and dangling my legs into the water, watching the waves ripple over my feet. A huge puddle formed all around me within seconds, and I sneezed a couple of times. The Rito girl immediately bent down next to me, looking a bit worried.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine – why d'you ask?"

"Well, I was just thinking…you know, what with the fever… Drat it, I should have made Quill stay and fly you over here at least! Now you're going to get ill again, and it's all my fau-"

"Hey!" I reached up and tugged on her wrist. She paused mid-tirade and stared at me, eyes wide. "Don't worry about it; it's nothing to do with you if I get ill. It's my own stupid fault for swimming in the first place. Besides," I let go of her wrist and started getting to my feet, "I was only sneezing because there was water on my nose and it tickled." I grinned reassuringly, and she smiled weakly back.

"Heh…sorry… I just get worried…"

"And I'm glad you care enough to get worried," I answered solemnly, raking my hair out of my face so that I could see properly. She blushed, and then abruptly looked over her shoulder.

"That's all right," she murmured, before continuing at normal volume. "Well, the shrine you need to go to in order to summon Zephos is the one that isn't broken."

"That seems simple enough," I nodded. "Just one question though," she stopped, having been just about to make her way back to the City.

"What?"

"How do I summon him?"

"Oh! That's easy – if you just look at the shrine stone, and it'll tell you all you need to know. Now, I really need to go, so if you're all right here-"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good – I might see you again before you leave, and I might not, so I'll say goodbye for now."

"Bye!" With that, she started up into the air, quite literally zooming off to make sure she got the Royal Seal back to Quill in time. I watched her go for about half a minute, before turning around to look at the shrine I'd been directed to. Considering it was meant to be for the God that controlled the winds (which were very important to the Rito), it didn't really look all that impressive. :It's just a big stone with writing on it…: I walked over, taking the Wind waker out of my pocket. :I'm just glad I remembered to bring this with me: I thought, swishing it about in the air.

I came to a stop in front of the stone, and assessed it. It really didn't look all that impressive; not only that, but the writing was so faded that it was hard to read. Squinting, I began to make out the words, forming them quietly on my lips as I went. The words read like this:

_The Shrine of the Great Zephos  
__God of winds and master of the seas  
__Guardian and protector of all flying creatures and beings on the Great Sea  
__His song is one that can change the course of the wind itself  
__If you are worthy, and bear the mark of a Wind waker  
__You may seek his wisdom  
__By calling his name  
__Whilst holding the instrument used to awaken the wind itself. _

By wildly guessing, I supposed that the instrument used to 'awaken the wind itself', must be the Wind waker. So, feeling slightly foolish, I rose the silvery baton into the air, and waved it purposefully. "Zephos, the God of winds!" I called out, hoping that the wind wouldn't carry my voice back to sure, as I must look like a complete idiot…

To my surprise (and also shock), the wind picked up speed, and I bent my head against it, eyes streaming with the intensity of the sudden gale. Even through my blurred vision, I was able to notice something fast approaching the shrine podium, and flinched when whatever it was stopped only a few feet away. The winds dropped down to almost nothing, and I heard a deep, booming and hearty chuckle. "Ah, so the young Hero finally summons me – I've been waiting for you for a long time m'lad!"

I blinked, and looked up to see large, blue, frog-like creature sitting on a cotton-wool cloud in front of me. "Are you-?"

"Zephos?" I nodded. "That I am lad, that I am. And I take it you've summoned me to learn a way to change the winds, is that right?" I nodded again, suddenly struck dumb as the realisation that I was in the presence of a God fully hit me. :I think I'm going to faint…: I stumbled slightly, but managed to catch myself, and shook my head. "Don't faint lad – and don't worry about speaking to me either! If there's anyone you want to watch out for, it's my brother."

"…W-w-why would I need t-to watch out f-for h-h-him?" I stammered, looking surreptitiously up at the great God Zephos.

"Oh, he's just got a beastly temper ever since his shrine here became broken," I looked at the other shrine, which had been reduced to rubble. "But don't worry about that – I shall have to get around to chastising him for being such a sour creature recently. However, that's not important," he brushed the topic aside. "What I'm here to do is bequeath upon you the melody that will allow you to conduct the wind to blow in any direction you so wish. Are you ready to learn, young Hero?"

"Y-yes sir," I rose the Wind waker, ready to begin.

"Good – now, repeat after me using the Wind waker. Ready?" I nodded. "Good." He shuffled about on his small cloud platform, and then the cloud suddenly moved in odd patterns in the air. I followed as best as I could, beating in three beat time. First there was a circular movement, and then two downbeats followed by one upbeat. Lastly was another circle, but in the other direction (being clockwise as the first was anticlockwise.) As soon as I had finished tracing this pattern in the air, everything around me became completely still.

"What happened? Did I do something wrong?" I asked, panicking slightly.

"Don't worry lad – you've just slowed time a little. Now, which way do you need the wind to go?"

"South," I answered. Suddenly, the wind came back, and the world started to move at normal speed once more. "Wow, it worked!" I cried, elated. I looked up to thank Zephos, but he had already gone. :Oh…I wanted to say thank you.: Instead, I just put the Wind waker back into my pocket, and started my journey back to land, already tired after being up for what couldn't be more than an hour and a half.

When I'd reached the shore and gathered up all my belongings, the sun was beginning to go behind a huge bank of cloud. Looking around, I saw that the sky behind me was extremely cloudy. And now, without the sun to warm me up, I felt quite cold in my sodden clothes. :No point just standing around here. At least if I walk I'll be a bit warmer.: So, shivering slightly, I started making my way back to the beach where I'd left Red, using the same path as Quill and I had used earlier.

* * *

By the time I'd gotten back to Red, it had started to rain slightly, and I sat down underneath a tree near him to try and shelter from the downpour. I sneezed a few more times, and then groaned when I realised I had a headache. :Maybe I am still a bit ill…: I pulled my knees up to my chest and lay my chin upon my knees, looking out to sea. The waves were choppier than before, and I wondered how the pirate woman and the girl in indigo were going to get off the island. It'd be a tight squeeze for us all to fit into the King of Red Lions after all.

Just as I was thinking about the two women, they suddenly appeared at the far end of the beach, having rounded the headland there. The pirate woman was walking with her head dropped to stare at the ground, shoulders slouched and dejected. The indigo girl was walking closer to the edge of the beach, every so often kicking up sprays of water as the waves washed over her feet. I could see that she was holding a rope in her hands, and not a second later, a boat rounded the corner after the two of then, being tugged along by the girl.

It seemed that she managed to cajole Marie into helping, as the pirate woman picked up the loose end of rope at the front, and began pulling the boat along as well. Red looked up from where he had been snoozing gently, and let out a small cheer. "Well done Shadow! I knew you'd be able to persuade them!" She just nodded, gratefully stopping and allowing the boat to drift until the rope was taught in her hands. Then, she left the boat to Marie, and walked over, nodding to me as she walked past.

"Well, it certainly took a lot of persuading. The only way I was able to get it back was to make Marie give her word as an honourable pirate to repay her debts."

"I'm just grateful we got out of there when we did, or else I'm sure you would have signed my whole life away to those ruddy post-men!" the green-haired woman fumed, having just tied off the other boat. "I can't believe you just did that! Didn't even let me get a word in edge-"

"I'm sorry Marie, but had you got a word in, I'm not sure we'd have Flo back," the girl bit back calmly. "I was just using diplomacy – and having seen their tallies of how much you and your crew stole over the years, I think you got off quite lightly." With this statement hanging in the air, Shadow turned around and nodded to me again, motioning that I should come and join them. "I see the wind's turned – was that your doing?" she asked me.

"Yeah – Zephos showed me how to do it."

"Good!" Red exclaimed. "That means we can finally get going. After seeing what dark creatures have been let loose here, I'm worried for the Forest Haven. It's about a day and half's sail from here, so if we leave now, we should get there by noon tomorrow. Are you all ready to leave?"

"Yeah," I answered.

"Yes," Shadow answered.

"No," Marie answered, petulantly. Strangely enough, she reminded me of Aryll for a split-second…

"Why not?" Red sighed, turning his head to glare at the green-haired pirate.

"Because I want my belongings back!"

"They weren't your belongings in the first place!" Red contested, glaring at her. "Besides, what's more important? A few pieces of gold and silver, or preventing Dragmire from wreaking havoc to the Great Sea and all the lands upon it?" Marie didn't answer, and looked slightly ashamed of herself. "Exactly. Now, you and Shadow will take Flo, and you'll follow behind us. Rufus, you'll be coming with me."

It was that precise moment that another couple of sneezes decided to hit me. And this time, my head didn't just throb afterwards – it felt as though it was going to split in two! I groaned, and placed both hands on either side of my head, trying to make my vision go straight again. A strong gust of wind bit through my soaked clothes, and when I drew in a breath to try and answer the queries as to 'whether I was all right', I started to cough.

"Red, I don't think he should be in an open boat for that distance. He doesn't look at all well," Shadow advised. "Perhaps he should stay below deck on Flo to recuperate, and Marie'll look after him."

"Good idea lass," Marie agreed, and I felt her pat me gently on the back to help my subsiding coughs end more quickly.

"Are you sure?" Red asked. He lowered his voice slightly, but I still heard him, "You're not looking too well yourself."

"I'll be fine Red," she assured him. "But I do think it'd be best for Rufus to stay in the warm." She bent down in front of me, and looked up to catch my eye. "Do you have anything dry that you can change into?"

"No, I don't," I answered, as quietly as she was talking, as my head was hurting so much.

"Ah – Marie, do you think you have anything that might be good?"

"I've probably got a few old things the lad could borrow – they'd be a bit big, but at least they'd be dry."

"You wouldn't mind lending them would you?"

"Nah. Wouldn't want the poor boy to get any more ill. Here, you come with me lad. I'll get you kitted out in something warm and dry, and then you can go to sleep after having something warm to eat. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good," I answered, feeling glad of the arm she had put around my shoulders. The body-heat against the side that I was squashed against warmed me up greatly, and I allowed myself to be steered towards the larger of the boats.

"Hang on a sec, and I'll just pull her in so you can get on without having to get wet again."

"OK." She let go, and the cold suddenly hit me again. There was a flash of lightning above, and then a huge rumble of thunder which made me jump. Looking up at the sky, I suddenly felt dizzy due to suddenly moving my head. The world around me began to spin, and before I knew what was going on, I had collapsed onto the rain-wetted sand. The small gritty crystals stuck to the side of my face, and I felt too weak to even move.

"Up you come," Marie grunted, hooking her hands underneath my shoulders and bodily lifting me up off the floor. "We'll get you dried off and fed, don't you worry." I leant against her shoulder, feeling quite comfortable, and drifted off to sleep before she even put me down again.

* * *

_It was the annual remembrance of the day when my parents had left Outset Isle on the Voyager for the last time. My tenth birthday had just passed, and Aryll was ill with a fever. Grandma had stayed home to look after her, but I just hadn't been able to stand being in the house any longer. It smelled of sickness, and in my mind, sickness only ever led to death. And that wasn't something I needed to think about anymore than I already was._

_I'd woken up that morning to a nightmare, about the Ghost Ship, and my parents being ghosts, and some other such nonsense. Grandma had been worried when she came in that I was ill as well, but I assured her I was all right. She didn't seem to believe me, but she was just so busy looking after Aryll that she let it go. And, after all, I was the man of the family…I was supposed to be strong and able to cope with things…_

_But I couldn't._

_I loved Grandma and Aryll dearly, but I still missed my parents. Every day I missed them – playing games with them, hearing them tell stories about their wonderful adventures. Mother's terrible cooking that always made us laugh, and father's talent for singing us to sleep without any effort. And today, of all days in the year, was the worst of the lot. Because all I remembered was how determined I was that they shouldn't go. I threw tantrums and hid their maps and their equipment, trying to make them stay. _

_If only I'd tried harder. Maybe if I'd told them about my nightmares, about how the Forsaken Fortress was coming alive again in my dreams, then they would have listened. Or how the sea was too dangerous, and the monsoon season too close. If only… I should have done more. Then they'd still be alive…_

I woke up to find myself snuggled beneath a huge pile of blankets, and a cold compress sitting upon my forehead. I could see that Marie was sitting in the open doorway, wrapped up in her great coat and watching the storm outside. She'd made it so that no gusts of wind would pass through the door, so the cabin was delightfully warm. The sea wasn't as rough as it had been, but the boat was still pitching quite a lot. She managed to keep her balance easily, having the trained legs of a pirate. But, now that I was awake and I had to think about it, my balance went to pieces, and I felt glad I was lying down.

I shuffled so that I was sitting up in bed, and Marie turned around at the sound of me moving. "Ah, you awaken! I was a bit worried for you back there when you fainted lad! How are you feeling now?"

"A bit better, thanks," I answered croakily.

"Hungry?" I didn't even need to answer, as my stomach rumbled loudly as I picked out the smell of soup. Looking to my left, I saw that there was a pot of the stuff simmering nicely away above the small cabin-range. "I'll take that as a yes!" she chuckled jovially, moving away from the doorway onto the deck, and closing it behind her to make sure no draughts had any chance of getting in. When the door was fully secure, she hopped down the three steps and onto the cabin's floor.

"What sort of soup is it?" I asked, unable to guess.

"Just various vegetables I had in the cupboard – potatoes, leeks, onions, carrots – that sort of thing," she answered, bending down and rummaging through a cupboard to find two tin mugs in which to put the soup. "I'll start you off with a little bit, because I don't want to make you ill with too much at once."

"Sounds good," I smiled, accepting the half-full tin mug she handed me. The warmth of the soup bit into my cold hands, and gave me the sensation of pins and needles. Greedily, I drank the whole lot down, scalding my throat in the process. However, it didn't matter, as the soup did the trick. It warmed me up from the inside out, and I immediately began to feel sleepy again. I yawned widely, and Marie looked at me with an amused green eye over her own mug of soup.

"If you want to go back to sleep, go right ahead. You've already slept through most of the day – it's just coming up to dusk now."

"I've been asleep all day?" I exclaimed, sitting both upright and cracking my head on the low ceiling. "OW!"

"Oh, Gods, are you all right?" she smiled slightly at my clumsiness, but at least had the grace to also look worried. I gingerly rubbed the top of my head, and sent an evil glare to the ceiling.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I chortled weakly, lying back down. "I think I will go back to sleep – you know, before I injure myself."

"All right then lad – call me if you need anything, won't you?"

"I will," I muttered, pulling the many blankets right up to my chin and holding them there. I curled up into a ball on the thin bunk, turning to the side so that my knees were nearly touching my chest, my free arm wrapped around them. My feet were still a little cold, so I took one of the pillows I had been resting my head on, and dumped it over my feet, which warmed them up a little bit.

Content that was I was as comfortable as I was going to get, I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep once more, full of soup and nearly better.

* * *

_Lossemare, H7 and my newest prisoner (I mean reviewer!) kizna1200! Thanks for putting up with my horrible and sporadic updates. And your reviews are always helpful (especially when Lossemare points out my mistakes. I expect you'll find a lot in here as well ;) man, I really need a beta reader one of these days!) I won't promise to try and update more frequently, because I'll probably break the promise. So I'll just say that I will try and update…eventually._

_Also, I've somewhat escaped my man-love spiel, so I'm hoping I don't slip back into that for at least a couple of months. _


	14. Shadow: Diplomatic Prowess

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter…well, Rufus met Shadow and was properly introduced, and then he traipsed off with Quill to see Zephos and learn how to control the wind. Other than that…not much happened. He fainted again due to a fever, and when we left him, he was snuggling back down to sleep in the bunk in the cabin of Flo:Pats him on the head: he's so cute! And the way he blames himself for not only Aryll's kidnap, but also his parent's death… I'm so mean to my characters… Yet, for now, I believe it's time to see just how Shadow managed to persuade the Rito to give Marie her boat back. _

Thanks go out to Lossemare, who's been putting up with me bugging her about other Zelda fics, whilst secretly plotting to kill me for not getting on with this one. Heh…this chapter's for you m'dear! Also, apologies to people who might have me on author alert for those stupid parodies :looks embarrassed: I just had to get them out of my system! And yet more apologies as I don't have a beta reader, so any and all mistakes are my own.

_Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics._

* * *

**_Shadow: Diplomatic Prowess_**

When I awoke, I found myself alone on the beach, lying by the remains of Marie's fire from the previous night. Dawn was just beginning to grace the sky, and I sat up, rubbing my arms because of the cold. My pack rolled off from its place upon my stomach, and blearily, I reached into it to find some food. My stomach was growling, and I didn't bother to be dainty when the food I was searching for eluded me within the canvas bag. I merely picked it up, turned it upside down, and shook everything out.

:How pitiful an amount that looks: I thought, easily picking out the bottle of water and one of the loaves of bread I had purchased not more than two days ago at Windfall Island. The fruit and ham I put back in my pack, as they would last longer than the bread would. After casting a look around to ensure that my face would not be seen, I pulled down my facemask, and hurriedly consumed my small meal. The bread was slightly stale already, and it didn't nearly sate my hunger, but it did at least stop my stomach from growling in an embarrassing manner. :Where're the other two: I wondered, looking around and hoping to spot a splash of vermilion against the cerulean sea – but, the King of Red Lions wasn't in sight, and neither was Marie.

I stood up, recognising the shaky nature of my limbs as complete magic depletion. :I think I may well have overdone it yesterday: I thought, stretching my aching muscles in the cool morning light. No doubt we'd be carrying on our adventures, so I'd need to figure out a way to rest and relax in order to replenish some of my lost strength for more fighting later on. Shadows began to circle the ground before me, and I looked up to see a few Rito setting off with full mailbags. :I still haven't told them about the Rito on Opacus… I must do so before we leave.: With that decision in mind, I tugged my facemask back up over my nose, and started in my search for two of my travelling companions.

Alas, I wasn't quite sure where to start. I stood idly on the sand, looking around to try and gauge the most likely direction the two of them would be in. And, well, considering one of the two happened to be a boat, I naturally stuck to the sea. Meaning that I could either go along the shore to the right around a rocky headland, or to the left and have a lazy stroll along the beach until I reached the end of the island some good five or six miles away. Whilst the stroll appealed, I knew that it was more likely that they would be around the headland.

Sighing, I hurried back to the palm I had rested beneath the evening before, and collected my effects, slinging my pack over my shoulder, and rolling my shoulders until it was comfortably in place. Then, eyes squinted against the sun (which had just reappeared from behind a thick bank of cloud), I began to wearily make my way over the headland, stifling yawns and having to force myself to actually move, I was so exhausted. Despite the seriousness of the quest I was upon, I couldn't help but feel merry in the heat of the morning sun. All of these emotions, usually things I would frown upon, just seemed somehow natural, and I smiled slightly as a fish jumped from the waves to my left, and landed with a satisfying plop back in the water.

The ripples the fish had made in its jump from the water drew my attention to the sea, and I watched the shadows waver and dart beneath the waves next to me, strangely fascinated by creatures I usually only thought of food. The same fish jumped once more, and I was able to see that it would make quite a good meal – should I be able to capture it. :Leave it: I told myself:-there isn't time for that now.: I turned my eyes back to the rocky ground I was going to have to traverse, and then focused my attention on my aching body. :Dare I risk injuring myself: The rocks were incredibly precarious-looking after all…

Luckily, I was spared the need to traverse the dangerous ground when a red dragon prow sailed into view, swiftly followed by the broad smile and glittering green eye of a certain pirate woman. I let out an almost silent sigh of relief, and raised my arm, drawing attention to myself. Marie noticed me first, and returned the wave before quickly returning her attention to the rudder, and steering towards shore. "Mornin' lass – we didn't like to wake you, you looked so peaceful," she told me as soon as she was close enough not to have to shout.

"Don't worry about it – just leave a note or something next time," I chided her as I would Firen or Delia, and didn't even bother to berate myself. The warmth of the morning sun and the vibrancy of the island around me left little room in my mind for the bad things.

"Would do, but I can't write," Marie answered breezily, seemingly unashamed of her illiteracy. "Can't read either – but I get along fine, before you say anything," she guessed my thoughts shrewdly, and I obediently didn't pick up on her inabilities. I'd often heard that Hylians didn't value reading and writing as much as other races, and it was only the well off who generally had such skills. :Which just calls into question the purpose of the Rito visiting places like Windfall Island.: Such a mail-person swooped down low over the waves, her cargo seated comfortably in a mailbag strapped across her back.

"So, what were you doing around there?" I asked, jogging along next to the boat as Marie bought it around to the bay.

"Just checking up on Flo," Marie told me, though her usually jovial tones seemed a little wooden.

"What's wrong?" I queried, looking at her slouched posture with worry.

"We ran into a few Rito who had some things to say about Marie's previous…excursions…here," Red answered for her, and the pirate's face went almost as red as his painted sides. I raised an eyebrow at the implications of this, and he continued. "It seems she owes them a few reparations, and luckily, she happened to have a good deal of money on her."

"It's bloody robbery," Marie scowled, bringing Red scraping up the beach with a loud grating sound, and stepping out without bothering to tie him up, stamping up the beach towards the palm we had slept beneath the night before. The swear word cut through my hazy thoughts with a surge of shock. I'd never get used to the way the other races could drop curses into their conversation without a second thought… The King of Red Lions whipped his head around, and made a small sound of protest as the strong backwash of the waves tried to pull him back out to sea. Hurriedly, I rushed forwards and grabbed him by his carven horns, and dragged him up the beach.

"Thank you," he murmured as I picked up the length of rope coiled up on the deck, and walking towards a closer-to palm to tie it off. When this task was done, I went back over to Red, eyebrow still raised in amusement and query. "What exactly happened?"

"I'm not sure I should really talk to you about it… Marie may not wish me to…" he answered, looking shiftily to the sand. I could tell that I wasn't going to get the whole story, but continued pressing in the hopes of hearing at least part of it.

"Red? Please…just tell me a little of what happened at least!" I dropped down to the sand next to him, stretching my legs out before me with a joyous sigh. He didn't answer immediately, so I prompted again, "Go on Red."

"All right!" he exclaimed, the outburst ringing across the otherwise silent island cliffs. "The Rito have taken Flo into custody until all Marie's reparations are made!" He threw back his horned head and looked at me, haggard and decidedly angry.

"But – then how am I to follow you and Ruf-"

"I don't know," he answered, dropping his head back down. "He can't possibly be left alone – especially not after your services to him already… Yet, it wouldn't be prudent for you and he to share a boat, considering the…situation…"

"I see," I said, now trailing small patterns in the sand with my fingertips. We both fell into silence, and I tried to figure out a way that we could retrieve Flo. :Perhaps if I can talk to that Quill character again… He seemed to understand my true allegiance when I last saw him. And then I can tell him about the Rito at home as well.: It seemed like a long shot at best, but a long shot was better than nothing at all. "I'll be right back," I muttered, hoisting myself to my feet.

Then, I ponderously made my way up the dunes and to the section of beach on which Marie was brooding darkly over the loss of her vessel. She looked up at me, usually jovial features in a scowl. "What?" she barked, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning heavily against the trunk of the palm she was standing under, hidden by the shadows of the thick leaves above.

"I've thought of a way that we could get the boat back," I said, quite simply. At this, she looked up from studying the sandy ground, and pinned me with her one eye. Slightly perturbed by the intensity of her gaze, I took a slight shuffle backwards. Then, feeling a little silly for doing so, I looked at the trunk of the palm behind her as I continued, embarrassed by my actions. "Well, perhaps if we…_negotiate_…" I leant heavily on the word to make sure she understood the lack of connotations within my suggestion, "If we negotiate with the Rito, and make them see that we're in desperate need of the boat, they might reconsider."

Marie snorted, "I doubt it lassie; you didn't see what they-"

I quickly cut across her, "They're only like that because of your previous actions, Marie." She frowned, but didn't bite back with a remark as I had expected her to. "But, they have no problem with me as far as I can see – so if you let me do the talking – then maybe…just maybe…we can sort this out?" I turned it into a question at the last minute, and awaited an answer from my pirate travelling companion.

A small smile worked its way onto her face, and I took a couple of steps forward, assured that she wasn't going to yell at me. Still, when she did begin to speak, I found myself flinching ever so slightly – yet didn't berate myself. :Just common sense after all – having seen what she can be like…: "You'd do that for me lass?"

"It's not just for you," I murmured, tossing my head in the direction of Red. "It's for Red too – and the boy. I can't just leave him all alone, after all!"

"But still…you don't have to do this you know. Red could probably figure out another way to work this out…" she suddenly became defensive again, and I raised my eyebrow at her strange swings. "Why should I accept help from you anyway? Since you seem to distrust me so much!"

"I think I had every right to distrust you after seeing you kick a man when he was down," I bit back, suddenly annoyed at her perpetual mood-changes. "Look, there's no ifs or buts about this – we need the boat back – they don't trust you, but they might trust me. So, we're going to go together, and make a deal to get the boat back. Right?" Emulating the petulant nature of a young warrior child being told off in training, she didn't answer, and glared stubbornly at the ground.

"Right?" I pressed again, more forcefully this time.

"Right," she agreed, nodding and peeling her back away from the smooth trunk of the palm. "I suppose we'd better tell Red what we're up to then?"

"Good idea," I nodded, and I turned on my heel and led the way, not feeling in the mood to walk in stride next to her. She was just being so ridiculously difficult, and considering the situation, she hadn't improved my mood whatsoever. :Hopefully, she'll keep her mouth shut so I can do all the talking. We can't afford to leave the boy alone after all; especially considering how many times I've had to help him already.:This unintentionally cruel thought shocked me, and I briefly wondered whether the great Valoo's 'blessing' was indeed a good thing after all… My mood had changed umpteen times already that morning, and I was beginning to feel a little off balance…

Red hailed us as we came over with a cheery hallo, and I returned the greeting with a slight nod of acknowledgement. Marie said nothing; when I looked over my shoulder, I saw that she was still looking sullen, and mentally rolled my eyes. In an odd way, she reminded me of Delia. Both of them just couldn't bear to let go and have other people control things. :It's uncanny how similar some of these Hylians are to us: I decided, drawing to a halt in front of Red, and grinning broadly at my own genius.

Of course, as he was unused to reading Sheikan faces, he looked up at me non-plussed. "Yes? Was there something you needed to talk about?"

"Oh, urm, well… I came up with an idea; about Flo I mean – Marie's boat," I began, tripping over my words slightly as I was still annoyed at Marie.

"Indeed?" he asked, obviously willing me to continue.

"Indeed," I nodded, beckoning Marie to come over with a hand gesture. She did, and placed both hands on hips, standing at a jaunty angle in some vain attempt to make it look as though she wasn't at all bothered by my plan. "I thought that if I went with Marie to talk to the Rito, and made them see how much we need the boat, that they might give it back. Of course," at this, Marie let out a small breath of air, and studiously turned her head to the side, peering out to sea as she did so. "Of course, we'll need to give the Rito some incentive to give the boat back, so I thought I could help them come to some agreement over that." I paused, and tried to read his expression; when I couldn't, I pressed for an answer, "Well? Does that sound all right?"

"It sounds like it might work, which is the best we can hope for at this moment…" The King of Red Lions sighed, and murmured, "If only you'd gotten the boat from someone who wasn't a blasted criminal…it'd be so much easier." I stifled a snigger at this, and looked sidelong at Marie, who was also trying to contain laughter. Red looked up at the two of us again, and scowled sternly, "This is no laughing matter! If this doesn't work – well – I suppose you'll just have to steal the boat back anyway!"

"Now that sounds more like it," Marie said, rather enthusiastically. Not at all liking where this train might be heading, I leapt back into the conversation.

"No!" they stared at me, surprised by my loud outburst. So was I… :My voice probably won't exist by the end of this: I thought, rubbing my sore throat as I carried on. "There'll be no stealing. If we can't get the boat back, then I'll just have to travel with you and the boy, and Marie will stay here."

"Stay here? But those vultures'll rip me apart! Red, you can't agree to this, it's madness!" Marie implored, kneeling down upon one knee in the sand. She caught the King of Red Lions' head by one of the carved horns, and forced him to look at her face to face. "You can't bloody well leave me here."

"I'm sorry Marie," he looked down at the wet sand all around his keel, "but we might have to. I think Shadow's plan is probably our best bet." She roughly let go of him, pushing the prow slightly to the side as she violently got to her feet.

"Fine! Just shows how loyal you can be to your old friends, doesn't it!" she sniffed, her one eye now glazed over with tears. I took a couple of steps back, removing myself from the scene, and watched wide eyed. It was as though some play was unravelling before me, and somehow, although I knew I shouldn't know what had happened before the story, I did. Feeling slightly nauseous, I fell with a loud thud onto my behind, landing hard on the sand. I clutched onto my pack, and was dazzled by the sun before I closed my eyes.

* * *

_A girl of about my age, with green hair scraped back from her face in a gracefully braided style, stood upon her tiptoes in the centre of an empty stage. Soft music played from a band in the pit below; a flute, harp and ocarina carrying the tune, which twisted and twined like a leaf blowing in the breeze. There was a spotlight upon her, dim at first, but fast growing brighter, until her white dress shone brightly within the otherwise gloomy world. There was an intake of breath, and looking around from my perch, I could see that I was sitting within a theatre house, and that there was a full crowd. _

_The music carried on, beautiful and serene, and the girl began to dance; every member of the audience became silent…many didn't even seem to breathe, as they watched the girl move across the stage. She twirled slowly on one leg, the other bent up behind her back, and both arms reaching out as though seeking to embrace something. The music began to change, with the addition of strings and a clarinet, which bit through the soft strains of all else. _

_To the left of the stage, another ballerina entered – her dress was red, and her hair was black, and she danced in a way that was more frenzied than the girl in white. She pirouetted and spiralled through the air, before dancing menacing circles around the girl in white, grabbing onto her arms and spiralling her faster and faster until – the music stopped at a loud crash of the cymbals, and a clattering sound from the pit. Tentatively, the dancers held their positions, though the girl in red tilted her head slightly towards the audience, and I could tell that this was not part of the performance. _

_Suddenly, a scream came from the pit below, followed by the hideously familiar sound of flesh and bone being torn from one another. I blanched, but hurried forwards, unable to stop the vision from carrying my feet. At the bottom of the pit was a growing pool of blood, which was seeping from a pile of people who had once been the orchestra. Around this growing red stain was a group of glowing, skeletal people, wiping rusted and chipped swords on the remaining tatters of their clothes. _

_Looking up from this scene, I saw that the dancers had broken position, and were edging forwards towards the orchestra pit, holding hands for comfort as they did so. Now that they were closer to, I could recognise the look of fear in the eyes of the green-haired girl. :I had my suspicions before, but now I know it must be her…: I thought, edging backwards slightly as the skeletal crew below began climbing the walls of pit itself. I patted around my waist for my whip, but couldn't find it. Looking down, I saw that my whole weapons belt was gone…_

"_Marie, Marie my dear, hello, hello. Hello, hello, I have been looking for you Marie. Marie, Marie, my dearest Marie." Instantly, I was able to place that voice, and thought back to the ghost ship. :-Though, here, that hasn't happened yet; this is all before that.: The dancer in the white dress screamed, and began to drag the one in the red dress backwards, away from the pit, and away from the voice. _

"_Marie, Marie, don't be afraid. We've come to take you away. Oh, Marie, Marie, don't you remember? Don't you remember your daddy, Marie?" The dark haired girl yanked on the young Marie's hand to make her stop, and then changed their course towards the audience. I stepped out of their way, and felt a breeze ruffle over me as they hurried past. Curiously (and also because I didn't want to remain in the company of the skeletal crew much longer), I followed them. _

_The red dancer led both myself and Marie out of the theatre, and I realised with a jolt that this was on Windfall. We hurried down to the docks, and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw that our pursuers were pouring out of the stage doors behind us, and looked to be gaining. There was a snapping sound in front, and looking forwards once more, I saw the dark haired dancer had toppled over onto the cobbles of the street. "Hey, come on, get up!" Marie urged, helping the other to her feet. _

"_Damned shoes," the other girl cursed, grimacing as she now hobbled along, one arm over Marie's shoulder for support. She looked back, and visibly blanched. "We'll both get caught if we go on like this Mar; get going yourself."_

"_Don't be daft," the dancer in the white dress huffed, increasing their pace, and now half dragging the other. "Which one's your boat?"_

"_The green- well, it was the green one… Look!" Looking down at the harbour, I saw that all of the boats were flaming, sparks flying into the sea and hissing, sending up great clouds of steam. _

"_Oh Gods!" Marie exclaimed, looking back with fear. "Where to now?"_

"_I don't know – the old cove maybe?"_

"_Worth a shot – someone might have left a boat in there during the storm couple of days back, right?"_

"_Might have done; here, I think I can run on my own now." The dark haired girl took her arm from around Marie's shoulder, and started hobbling along herself, just about managing to keep up. I realised, as we started to go up the sand dunes, that they must be heading towards the same cove that Red and I had landed in with the Hylian boy Rufus. A split second before I saw it, I guessed what the contents of the cove might be. A red boat, with a proud dragon prow sat in the cove, a sail pooled messily on its deck. The girls climbed in, puffing and hurriedly putting the sail up, pushing off with their legs as their hands worked tying knots. _

_Within ten seconds, they were away, and I watched them sail out. Looking back, I saw that the skeletal pursuers had only just crested the dunes. Out on the water, I heard a small snuffling sound, and then an indignant, "What in blazes do you think you're doing? You've stolen me!"_

* * *

"Eurgh," was about all I could muster when I came round again. Opening my eyes, I met the intense stares of two people – namely Red and Marie. "You stole him as well," I murmured, still not quite with it. Marie raised an eyebrow, and looked at Red, who explained it simply,

"Just a vision."

"Oh, right. Makes sense then," she pulled a face, and then extended a hand to help me up. "Now that you're awake again, perhaps we should get on with talking about this plan of yours, hrm?" I took her hand, and rose to my feet, noticing that I was covered in sand. As I walked over to where she and the King of Red Lions were striking up a conversation that was obviously already halfway through, I began dusting the tiny grains off of my back. Raking a hand through my hair, I discovered that I was in great need of a brush, and also another hair tie, as I'd managed to lose mine at some point.

However, that wasn't highly important at that very moment. :I probably have both things in my pack somewhere or other anyway…: I mused, now beginning to listen in on the conversation that Red and Marie were having. "Maybe if I offered to call off my men from ever sailing these waters again?"

"I think it would be best to call off your men from going near any Rito again, whether in or out of these waters Marie," Red decided, rather forcefully.

"Well, in that case, what am I to do? Force all of my men out of work? Those bloody Rito get every-"

"Now I can see why Shadow was so vociferous in the point that she should do all the talking," the King of Red Lions muttered quietly, though he still managed to draw Marie's attention. She gave me a dirty look, and then her face broke into a smile.

"Touché old friend," she said, shaking her head. "I suppose you're right lass; I'm not exactly in their good books, and I never have been one for all this diplomacy nonsense."

"Well, the Sheikah are diplomatic enough for anyone, are they not Shadow?"

"I suppose they are, yes," I began, but was cut off when Marie began to talk once more. I wasn't too offended however; it was nice to just listen along to the conversation, rather than have to actively participate. It gave me more time to go over my vision after all. :It seems Marie's habits started very early on: I thought with a smile, looking at the point where the water and sky met, and feeling a little revitalised now that my meal from earlier had been digested, and the energy was starting to return to my limbs.

The sound of running feet suddenly pervaded the air. A shout that was completely incomprehensible echoed from the cliffs all around, and, looking up, I saw that Rufus was sprinting down the path towards the beach. Behind him stood the Rito man Quill, who was just trudging along, looking a little surprised by the boy's eagerness to reach Red, Marie and myself. I tensed, wondering if I should get out of there whilst there was still time for me to do so.

Marie put a hand on my shoulder, and shook her head; I looked down at Red for confirmation, and he just nodded, signalling that I should stay. I relaxed a little, and waited for Rufus to skid to a stop before us. Feeling suddenly shy, I shifted my eyes to the sand, which clung to my still damp boots. :Why should I be shy? He's younger than me! A good fighter, yes, but not much more than that…: Maybe it was because he had been the cause of me losing my cool earlier on?

I didn't have much time to think about it though; within seconds, he was standing before us, panting slightly after his run. Thankfully, Marie immediately stepped forwards, and extended her hand to greet Rufus, managing to sound rather chirpy considering our current predicament. With that very thing in mind, I turned around slightly and spoke to Red about the details of the plan to retrieve the boat. "Do you suppose it would be best to take her with me, or not?"

"I'm not sure, to be perfectly honest. Perhaps the sight of her looking sorry for what she's done," he looked sidelong at where the pirate and the Hylian were talking, and added in dark undertones, "not that I believe she ever will be, considering her upbringing…" he trailed off, and then continued with the former sentence, leaving me with only a small allusion to Marie's past to think about. "Perhaps if she seems sorry, they'll take pity and give the boat back. Though I think you being there will help immensely as well."

I nodded, "All right…well, in that case, we'll need to go as soon as we can, won't we?"

"Indeed; and you need to convince the lad that he's not being watched or followed any longer also- Oh, I think you're wanted!" he nodded his head over to where Marie was beckoning me forwards,

"Hey, lass, come over here and introduce yourself!" Being ordered around in such a manner caused a short flash of annoyance, which quickly subsided when I remembered that Marie never had been the most tactile person. :At least, if what I've seen in those visions reflects her at all…: I walked over as normally as I could, though one of my legs had become slightly numb somewhere during the course of catching sight of the boy, and being called over.

On seeing that he was staring openly at me, I blushed. :Hylians are so dratted direct; it's unnerving.: I decided, even as I extended my hand to introduce myself. Even after all the torture my voice had been through recently, I was still able to speak. Though, I did have to fight off my returning accent. "The name's Shadow," I said as I shook his hand. As soon as palm met palm, I was able to feel the welts he'd gained from wielding his sword, and was surprised that he didn't seem bothered by them. "I apologise for not telling you sooner, but there were more…" I looked around for the right word, "pressing…matters," I ended with.

The change in him was astounding – he smiled widely, and began to chat jovially away as though we'd known each other for years, rather than seeing one another for fleeting moments in battle. "Don't worry about it, I'm just glad to see you again, so I can thank you!" At this, I blushed again, and held up a hand to halt him, shaking my head as well. He didn't need to thank me:This is my job after all; it's what I've been training all my life to do:

"Please, it's no bother. It's what I'm here for." With that said, I quickly drew back, allowing Marie to take my place and once more engage the lad in talk. I just hurried back to Red, eager to finish finalising plans to regain Flo, and also decide how to fool Rufus into believing that we were no longer following him. As I walked over, I searched my person for a piece of twine or loose bandage that I could use to tie my hair up with once more. Unable to find anything, I dropped my arms to my sides, and stopped in front of Red. He looked up at me with a smile.

"Let me guess; you want to go over your plan again, and know how to make it seem as though you're not following the lad?"

"An excellent guess," I nodded, having to push my hair behind my ears as the strong breeze tried to blow it into my face. "The plan to retrieve the boat's all right, isn't it?" I asked.

"It's fine. But I'm just not sure how the second half of the plan's going to work," he admitted. Both of us fell silent for a few seconds to try and come up with a plan. "Maybe it isn't possible," Red muttered.

"There must be a way," I insisted, not that I had any ideas on what that way might be. "What if we rode half a day's sail behind you?"

"Then you might not get there in time to aide Rufus."

"Ah," I fiddled with a strand of hair which was stubbornly awry, and was only called out of my thoughts when I heard Marie start talking to Red.

"Looks like we'll have to row our way or something Red," she called, indicating the direction of the wind.

"Not at all!" he contradicted her. "Rufus knows what I mean." I looked at the Hylian boy, who to me looked a little perplexed. A spark of sympathy ran through me, as his expression reminded me sorely of Firen, who always seemed to be in a state of confusement. :Especially when it comes to the conglomerate history course of overseas trading: I thought, rolling my eyes at the memory. Firen had struggled through his work for half an hour, until realising that he was, indeed, studying the wrong trade links, which was why he'd been finding it so difficult. :That's classic Firen…:

"Well?" Marie urged, staring at the boy. He wrung his hands, and stuttered,

"Uh…well…I…uh…" Next to me, Red sighed exasperatedly, and exclaimed,

"The Wind Waker Rufus, the Wind Waker!"

"Oh!" Understanding dawned on his face, and he shed his pack in order to search for it. He looked embarrassed as he rummaged through the contents, but seemed to calm down when he found what he was looking for. From the pack came a long, shining silver baton with an ornate looking handle. He waved the baton in the air like the conductor from my vision, and I wondered what he was trying to do. I knew the basic concept of the Wind Waker (it was another of the many things I'd learnt over the years), but never believed I'd ever see someone use it.

When nothing at all happened, I tried to figure out why that was; an idea lit in my head after only a few seconds. "Red," I ventured, breaking the tense silence. "I believe you're forgetting something – he hasn't been to see Zephos yet." I'd remembered the shrine on the other side of the island, and knowing that Zephos controlled the wind, put two and two together… Luckily, it seemed that I'd come to the right conclusion! Not only that, but I'd also managed to find a piece of twine, so was able to tie my hair back up once more.

"So he hasn't!" Red said in half disbelief. "Rufus, do you remember me telling you about a shrine on the other side of the island?" At the sound of softly trod footsteps, all of us looked up, and spotted the Rito man Quill coming towards us. He was humming a popular tavern melody and swinging his arms as he walked; when he noticed us staring, he quickly stopped both actions and hurried over. "Good morning Quill," Red called to him merrily.

"'morning old friend," the Rito returned Red's greeting, and then met my eyes for a few seconds before looking away. I did so as well, feeling a slight twinge of bitterness that he could ever have thought of me as a murderer. :Yes, he's apologised…that doesn't mean I can overlook the fact that he accused me of something so terrible: "Was that the shrine of Zephos you were talking about?" Quill asked, and my quick flash of annoyance melted.

"Yes, it was – ah! I've just had an idea!" Red said, and Quill prompted him with an intrigued sounding,

"What?"

"What-say you take Rufus to the shrine in order to learn something from the great Zephos? I can think of no one better, since he seems to favour your people so. It'd be good to have a Rito along, as far as I can see." The Rito man nodded, and bent his head to look down at Rufus.

"Looks like you're stuck with me again Rufus," he quipped.

"I know – how will I cope?" the Hylian sighed, and then snorted as Quill nudged him in the shin with his toe. Smiling slightly at their friendly repartee, I quickly turned to Red. I crouched down, and kept my voice low so that the rest wouldn't overhear what was being said.

"Shall Marie and I go now?"

"That'd probably be for the best," Red nodded. Then, he looked up at Quill and Rufus, who were still standing there. "Well, what are you two waiting for? Get going – the sooner you have seen Zephos, the sooner we can be on our way!" he urged. Immediately, the lad turned around; having turned the wrong way, Quill reached out and grabbed his arm, and began half dragging him along the beach. They immediately began chattering to one another, and glad that Rufus would be occupied for a short while, so wouldn't suspect anything, I walked over to Marie.

"We off then lass?" she guessed, pushing her hair away from her face.

"If you're ready, then yes," I answered. "We'll have to go the long way around so that the boy doesn't suspect anything though…" She frowned at this, but nodded her understanding. "Well – let's go then."

"Good luck, and Gods help you be successful!" Red called, sounding sincere in his hopes. I silently agreed with him as I saw Marie glower at a Rito that flew overhead. :This isn't going to prove easy, I can tell.:

* * *

Finally, after about half an hour of wending our way around a long section of track that zigzagged up the cliff-side, we were at one of the many entrances to the Rito City. I paused at the entrance, unsure of whether we should go straight in, or wait for someone to escort us inside. However, Marie just strode straight on inside, and I hurried to keep up with her, not wishing to get lost in the huge settlement. "Do you know where you're going?" I whispered, looking around, and finding it eerier that I couldn't see anyone about.

"Vaguely – though I am wondering why no one's descended to catch me by-" she was cut off mid-sentence by the sound of multiple pairs if feet thudding onto the floor behind us. My hand immediately went to my whip, but Marie warned me with a sideways glance not to withdraw it. I dropped my hand, and turned around slowly just as she did. Standing before us, and quickly moving to encircle us, were a group of Rito men, all clad in light-weight armour, and most of whom were carrying spears.

"What are you doing here, pirate?" one of the Rito men barked, his harsh voice not suiting his soft face, which was fringed by a halo of black hair and feathers. I noticed that, whilst most of the guards were glaring at Marie, a few were glancing at me every so often, looking a little perplexed. When Marie didn't answer, I took it as my cue to begin working my diplomatic charms.

"Excuse me," I began softly, not wishing to startle nor annoy any of them. They all shifted their attention onto me. "But we came in the hope that we could perhaps discuss the possible return of our boat. Who would we need to see about that?"

"That would be me," the Rito who had previously spoken said, "Pardon me for asking, but what would you have to gain from the return of the boat to this crook?"

"I need it in order to carry out a mission for the King of Red Lions, sir," I answered meekly, averting my eyes when his gaze became too uncomfortable. "We are willing to discuss terms of course," I added, worried that should I just leave my statement as it had been, that all hopes of getting Flo back would be lost. Looking back at the tall, dark Rito man, I was surprised to see a spark of amusement in his eyes.

"And what do you find so funny, bird-"

"Marie!" I hissed warningly, nudging her in the side with my elbow. "Manners, for Gods' sake!" At this, the Rito man chuckled, and extended a gauntleted hand. I accepted it, and shook it firmly.

"Name's Ilari – cap'n of the guard. Would I be right in thinking you're Shadow of the Sheikah?"

"Indeed you would – how did you know my-?"

"Quill told us just before he went off the ceremony," he answered brusquely, his friendly smile turning into a frown as his gaze drifted back onto Marie for a second. When he looked back at me, he seemed a lot more serious. "If we are to discuss this matter, I believe it would be better if we could sit down, hmm?"

"Sounds excellent," I agreed, and was glad when the circle of Rito finally broke up.

"If you'd like to follow me," Ilari advised, beginning to amble towards one of the many spiralling walkways that lead to the upper levels of the city. Again glad of the freedom from the circle, I quickly fell into stride next to, but slightly behind the captain. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Marie was scowling deeply, and was being flanked by the rest of the guards, who watched her like hawks at every move. :How long has she been stealing from these people: I wondered – after all, why else would they be so wary of her?

It wasn't long before it became apparent that I was a point of interest to all of the Rito that we passed. They made no secret of their interest in me, the strange new arrival, and I felt intensely uncomfortable under their scrutiny. However, rather than let this get the better of me, I instead turned my thoughts more inwards, and began to compile points that I could debate in order to get the boat back. I hadn't yet told Marie, but I'd decided that the best way to go about it, would be to convince the Rito of how important the boat was to our quest. And to also promise that she would repay her debts in full…perhaps by working within their postal stores…

Finally, after rising up two levels, Ilari led us into a chamber that contained a round wooden table, and many seats. Intuitively, I took the one nearest to the door (just in case), and Marie obediently sat down next to me, clenching her fists on her lap. It was obvious that she was restraining herself from saying something, and I felt enamoured that she was making the effort. To show her this, I gently patted her on the shoulder to catch her attention, and leant in whilst the captain and his men were sitting down, to whisper, "Thank you for not saying anything." I drew back, and she just smiled tightly at me, forcing her hands to be still.

"Now," the dark haired Rito began, leaning forwards across the table towards us. "I understand that this boat is important to the purposes of the great King of Red Lions himself…yet…I'm not sure whether I can see how you can think that we would agree to give it back solely on those grounds." As with all good debaters, he had thrown his cards down onto the table immediately. I felt glad of this common ground, and I too leant forward in order to engage him better.

"We suspected as much, which is why we came up with a compromise that we thought you may find acceptable."

"Go on."

"Well, considering my associate's past actions, I believe it's safe to say that she is not in your best of graces." There was a subversive wave of chuckling amongst the guards that was quickly stifled by the captain. "As such, I can see why you'd be hesitant to return the boat without some sort of guarantee."

"We'd need a guarantee of a bank-load to pay off what she's taken over the years," one of the guards exclaimed, nudging the man next to him and smirking. At this, Ilari frowned, and turned to berate the man,

"Namali, where are your manners?"

"Sorry cap'n."

"I do apologise for my men – sometimes they don't know when to stay quiet," the Rito rolled his eyes and smiled wanly at me. I returned the smile, though wasn't sure whether he'd be able to read my face or not. "But, he does make a good point about the amount that your companion has taken over the years. Here's a tally, should you need to look over it." I reached out to accept the sheaf of papers he held out, and quickly scanned over the first few pages. I wondered disbelievingly how it was even possible to carry that much away with you… When Ilari spoke once more perhaps two minutes later, I started, and placed the papers onto the table top. "Do carry on with what you were saying about a guarantee, was it?"

"Yes…well. I was wondering whether, should my associate give her word through a pirate promise," there was a small intake of breath from everyone in the room, including Marie, "that she would repay her debts in full once our mission is over, if you would then consider returning our vessel."

"What would you propose that she promise?" the Rito enquired, and I was glad to see that he seemed to be coming around to my side of the argument. I looked at Marie, and on seeing that she seemed to have accepted her fate, whatever it may be, I answered his question.

"I was going to propose that, first of all, when our quest is over, that she return Flo to you as part payment for her crimes. Then, in order to work the rest off, she would work in your sorting and packaging rooms until all that she has stolen has been paid for. Does that sound as though it would be acceptable?"

"I'm not sure," Ilari murmured. "Am I right in saying that you haven't known this pirate for long?"

"You are."

"Yet you believe that you can vouch for her trust-worthiness."

"She saved my life during a storm that hit us on the way here. I believe she can be trusted," I answered stiffly, fearing that the debate might not be running as smoothly as I had thought after all.

"Really?" the Rito's eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead. Desperately, I got up from my chair, and made to move towards the captain. However, all of the guards raised their weapons against me, and I stopped dead in my tracks. He cocked his head to one side.

"Please, my good sir – it's quite imperative that we have the vessel back," I implored, praying that he would agree to return Flo to us.

"Well…I suppose if a pirate promise is made…then it may be acceptable…" he decided, getting up from his seat, and motioning for the guards to lower their weapons. "But, should that promise be broken, we will be only too happy to punish her for it."

"I shall not break my word," Marie interjected stoutly, rising to stand next to me. "But only on the condition that you allow us the boat until we have no further need of it."

"I will allow you the boat, if you swear to uphold what your Sheikan companion has promised so eloquently," he briefly nodded to me, and I returned the gesture. Marie took in a great breath, and let it out again slowly. Then, dragging her feet as she did so, she walked towards the Rito man, right hand extended. He reached our and accepted it, gripping her fingers tightly.

"I promise that, should you allow us the use of the vessel Flo, until we no longer have need of it, that I shall adhere to the aforementioned terms, and on my word shall work until my debt is repaid. This is a pirate promise, and should it be broken, heaven forbid that I should cross paths with you again." She said all of this in a monotone, yet the Rito seemed satisfied, and firmly shook her hand to seal the deal.

"In that case, we shall take you to your vessel now," he declared. Immediately, Marie hurried out of the debate room before me, and stood on the balcony which overlooked the lower levels of the city. I made to follow her, but the captain caught me by the shoulder to stop me. All of this unwarranted contact was strange, but not entirely terrible; though I did feel a stab of embarrassment, when I saw his earnest face, it left my mind completely.

"Yes sir?"

"I would just wish to warn you to be careful of that one," he began, in a rather fatherly tone. "Do not turn your back on her, for you may well find a knife in it." I was tempted to just brush this off as a ridiculous idea, but something in the way that he spoke told me I couldn't ignore his words. So, rather than coming back with a comment about how I could take care of myself quite well, I just nodded.

"I'll be wary," I muttered, ensuring that Marie wouldn't overhear me. Then, at normal volume, I called to Marie, "Come on, let's go and get that boat back before the boy returns to find us gone." She nodded, and plodded along beside me, evidently not happy with this turn of events. I just ignored her woe-betide look, and surreptitiously studied the Rito City with great interest. After all, not many warriors could claim to have seen so much of the Great Sea within their first year, let alone their first week:I'll have plenty of stories to tell when I get back home…:

On the way down the bay, I remembered to inform Ilari of the Rito on Opacus Isle, and he thanked me profusely for doing so. He also said that, having never met any Sheikah before, he was very much enamoured to us due to my actions. I just blushed in embarrassment, and felt glad when we finally reached the boat.

* * *

By the time we were able to start sailing back to where we had left Red, it had begun to drizzle slightly. I noticed that the wind had changed direction, and wondered if that meant that Rufus had already seen Zephos. The sea was choppier than it had been earlier, and I hoped that that didn't mean there was another storm on the way – I didn't fancy riding another one out, especially considering how weak I still felt. :Well, not weak exactly…I just ache because of having no magic. What if there's an emergency, and I can't do anything because I have no magic left:

I stopped worrying about this when I found that the wind was dragging us too far away from shore. Marie had noticed this as well, and tugged on the rope of the sail in order to bring it crashing down onto the deck. As she did this, I turned the rudder sharply towards the shore. With the momentum we have gained whilst being pushed along by the wind, we were able to get close to shore. Marie hopped out and waded through the water, taking a rope that was attached to the prow with her.

With this rope, she dragged the boat towards land, and I hopped out onto the sand as soon as the boat was close enough for me to do so. Marie growled deep in her throat, and shoved the rope into my hands. Sighing heavily, I wrapped the coarse twine around my hands a couple of times, and began tugging the boat along behind me. Marie trudged on up ahead, her head low and shoulders slumped.

A particularly large wave threatened to drag both myself and the boat out to sea, and I pestered Marie into helping me. "C'mon, this is your boat after all! You don't want to lose it again after all that, do you?"

"No," she answered shortly, accepting the length of rope that I held out to her, and helping me to pull the boat along. I looked over to see that Rufus was already back from his quest, and was sheltering beneath a palm from the damp weather. Red looked up, and looked overjoyed to see that we'd retrieved the boat.

"Well done Shadow! I knew you'd be able to persuade them!" I just nodded, blushing beneath my cowl at the praise. I paused, to allow the boat to drift along until the rope was taught in my hands.

"Could you tie her up?" I asked Marie, who accepted the rest of the rope in stony silence. Not bothering to try and combat her moodiness, I hurried over to where the boy was standing on the beach, and spoke to Red as I made my way over. "Well, it certainly took a lot of persuading. The only way I was able to get it back was to make Marie give her word as an honourable pirate to repay her debts."

"I'm just grateful we got out of there when we did, or else I'm sure you would have signed my whole life away to those ruddy post-men!" Marie exclaimed, coming over from where she had been mooring Flo. I turned to look at her, and she continued to yell at me, "I can't believe you just did that! Didn't even let me get a word in edge-"

"I'm sorry Marie, but had you got a word in, I'm not sure we'd have Flo back," I contended her, not deigning to rise to her by raising my voice. Then, to further drive my point home, I added, "I was just using diplomacy – and having seen their tallies of how much you and your crew stole over the years, I think you got off quiet lightly!" With that said, I turned around to look at the Hylian boy, nodding kindly to show that he could join the conversation if he so wished. "I see the wind's turned – was that your doing?" I asked, trying to make him feel comfortable, as he looked wary of Marie's temper.

"Yeah…Zephos showed me how to do it," he answered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his tunic and shivering slightly in the wind. :He looks ever so pale…I hope he's all right.:

"Good! That means we can finally get going. After seeing what dark creatures have been let loose here, I'm worried for the Forest haven. It's about a day and a half's sail from here, so if we leave now, we should get there by noon tomorrow. Are you all ready to leave?" Evidently from Red's speech, he had decided that keeping my involvement a secret was no longer a priority.

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"No." I tensed, feeling tempted to take out my whip and crack Marie over the head with the handle of it for being so impertinent and ridiculous. Rufus looked at her with wide eyes, and I felt annoyed at Red for deigning to humour her, by asking,

"Why not?"

"Because I want my belongings back!"

"They weren't your belongings in the first place!" My estimation of Red went up at this, and I felt glad that he had said this in order to put Marie back into her place. "Besides, what's more important? A few pieces of gold or silver, or preventing Dragmire from wreaking havoc to the Great Sea and all the lands upon it." Marie looked duly ashamed of herself, and even I felt a little guilty on her behalf. After all, I'd been pining after my warm bed at home ever since I'd left Opacus. "Exactly. Now, you and Shadow will take Flo, and you'll follow behind us. Rufus, you'll be coming with me."

Almost as soon as these words had left Red's mouth, the boy sneezed twice violently, and then groaned, placing both hands on either side of his head. I immediately stepped forwards, asking whether he was all right, noting that he seemed even more pale than he had before. He drew in breath to answer me, but it caught in his throat, and he began to cough; each cough sounded painful, and I quickly looked to Red, allowing Marie to step forwards and help Rufus to get over his coughing fit.

"Red, I don't think he should be in an open boat for that distance. He doesn't look at all well – perhaps he should stay below deck on Flo to recuperate, and Marie'll look after him." I looked at Marie to confirm this, and was yet again shocked by the change in her. She was now acting like a mother to Rufus, patting him on the back and murmuring softly to him to comfort him.

"Good idea lass."

"Are you sure? You're not looking too well yourself," Red informed me. I immediately reassured him, not wanting to admit that I'd overdone my magic use.

"I'll be fine Red. But I do think it'd be best for Rufus to stay in the warm." I moved back over to Rufus, and bet down in front of him so that I could look him in his eyes, which were blood shot and watering. "Do you have anything dry to change into?"

"No, I don't," he whispered, voice sounding gravely and pained after his coughing fit.

"Ah…Marie, do you think you have anything that might be good?" I knew that I couldn't offer anything of mine, as it wasn't likely that my clothes would keep him nearly warm enough. :Besides, they mightn't even fit him.:

"I've probably got a few old things that lad could borrow – they'd be a bit big, but at least they'd be dry."

"You wouldn't mind lending them, would you?" I asked tentatively, hoping that she'd be co-operative. Luckily, her mother instinct had all but taken over, and she agreed to help immediately.

"Nah. Wouldn't want the poor boy to get any more ill." She wrapped an arm around Rufus' shoulder, and began steering him towards Flo. "Here, you come with me lad. I'll get you kitted out in something warm and dry, and then you can go to sleep after having something warm to eat. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good," I heard Rufus say through chattering teeth, and I saw him squash closer to Marie for warmth. Marie left him standing alone on the shore whilst she went to pull the boat in – a flash of lightning tore the sky open above, and was quickly followed by a huge thunder clap. I looked up at the sky, and then out at the waves, which were rocking wildly. :I'm not going to enjoy this trip in the slightest…perhaps I should have offered to go on Flo with the boy.: Looking down from the sky, I briefly wondered where Rufus had gone…

After a frantic few seconds of searching the beach, I saw that he had, in fact, collapsed onto the sand. I made to run over, but Marie quickly returned to her charge, and hoisted the Hylian off of the sand. She spoke to him softly as she climbed into Flo, and I watched her until they both disappeared below deck, out of the rain.

"He'll be all right," Red said, cutting through the tense air. He had rightly judged my worries, but I tried to make it seem as though I wasn't too worried.

"I know – he's a tough lad. He'll be fine… I suppose we'd better get going as well?"

"Yes, we had," he agreed, managing to bring himself about so that I could easily step into him. "Are you sure that you wouldn't rather be on Flo?"

"I'm sure," I answered obstinately, though I was already shivering violently…it would only get colder the further away from land we got.

"Well…in that case…" he seemed reluctant to finish his sentence, so I just stood up and set about tying the sail into place before he could change his mind. "I hope this storm blows over quickly," he said, falling to another topic of conversation in order to try and ease the uncomfortableness between us. I didn't feel alert enough to make much of an effort, and just agreed with him softly. He didn't attempt to strike up any further conversation, and I put all my concentration in trying to make sure that we didn't pull too far ahead of Flo.

* * *

_I apologise for that stupid vision. However, I think I made up for it in the last line of the damn thing –"What in blazes do you think you're doing? You've stolen me!" Yeah. It made me laugh anyway :giggles:. Sorry for yet another update that's been long coming, but life just hasn't been giving me the best of rides recently, so time to writer has been sparse. However, I think this over 10,000 word chapter may soften the annoyance somewhat, right? _

Anyway, I'm blabbering on again, so I'll shut up before my author notes start getting ostentatiously long. Thank you to my reviewers (whom I love and give cookies to), and the next chapter will arrive at some point in the future. I hope.

canihavea-soda


	15. Rufus: Ancient Powers

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter, we saw how Shadow's diplomatic talents could be put into use, and the boat Flo was retrieved from the Rito, in return for a pirate promise from Marie to pay off her debts. Then, we saw Rufus collapse as his fever relapsed, leading to Shadow taking Red, and Marie caring for Rufus on board Flo. Now to see how the poor boy's doing…_

_Two updates within a month of each other. If I'm not careful I'll lose my label as a procrastinating slacker! Also, excuse the tacky title…but it does reflect the chapter (sort of.) Oh, and the last thing – I apologise if recently you've been getting some author alerts for me, because I've been using the new edit feature :bounces around, and actually praises ffnet for the first time in her life: in order to put things right that I've been too lazy to sort out before. I'm not sure if author alerts come out for stuff like that or not…so I'm apologising…just in case…urm…yeah… Anyway!_

_Thoughts are in :single colons : and dreams are in italics._

* * *

**_Rufus: Ancient Powers_**

I snuggled beneath my covers, briefly wondering why the bed seemed to be moving – in fact, so did the whole room. Not feeling ready to open my eyes and get up, I just decided that I must be imagining things again. Grandma hadn't been up to wake me yet, so I must still have some time to sleep before morning arrived. The bed was warm, if a little harder than normal, and I yawned, turning over as I did so.

Alas, I'd misjudged the width of the bed, and found the edge to be a good deal closer than I'd reckoned. "Oof!" I groaned as I collided with the floor, the blankets tumbling after me; it was horribly cold in comparison to how warm I'd been only a few seconds before, and I added a few choice swear words under my breath in annoyance. Footsteps sound on the landing and I was willing to bet anything that Aryll was coming to laugh at how clumsy I was. Blearily, I opened my eyes to stare at the wooden floor on which I lay.

"You alrigh' lad?" a woman asked. I peered up at her, shielding my eyes from the strong morning sunlight, that was pouring through the door she had entered by, with my left hand. She was tall, with green, wavy hair which reached her shoulders, which were without the usual trench coat, instead bearing only two thin straps which kept her tight, dark grey shirt in place. Wide trousers were tucked into heavy boots, the buckles of which bore the same eye insignia as on the patch over her right eye. "Lad?" she knelt down on one knee next to me and touched me on the shoulder, eyebrows raised in worry, "What happened?"

"I…I f-f-fell," I answered, teeth chattering as a chill wind blew in through the open door that led out onto the deck. I remembered everything that had happened since my birthday (:it seems like years ago, rather than a few weeks:) and placed a name to the face that was smiling sympathetically down at me (whilst obviously trying not to laugh!) "M-m-marie, d'you reckon you could h-help me up?"

"Sure thing lad." I rolled over onto my back, and grabbed the hand she offered to help me up. Finding my legs to be shaky, I promptly flumped back down onto the bed, and she lifted the blankets from the floor, wrapping them around my shoulders. She fussed over me, making sure that I was completely cocooned, and I was sorely reminded of Grandma; she acted just like this whenever I got ill… "You warm enough?" she queried, dragging a small stool from the tiny table at the other end of the cabin, and sitting next to me.

"Yeah," I nodded, sniffing a little; the cabin door slammed shut in a particularly strong gust of wind, making us both jump.

"How much longer till we get there?"

"Oh, not much more than a few hours I should think – if you want to come out on deck, you can see it on the horizon already."

"Really?" I'd heard about the Forest Haven from my parents when they returned from one of their adventures many years ago. They were some of the few people who'd ever been inside the Forest Haven, and they'd told me it was absolutely beautiful! Not like the forest back at home, with monsters and terrible things, but full of fireflies, and flowers that grew to enormous heights.

Excitedly, and neglecting the blankets altogether, I hopped off of the bed again. This time, Marie was there immediately, obviously noticing my shaky legs, and she gently propelled me up the steps and out onto the deck.

She let go of me as soon as we'd both navigated the steps, and she was sure that I was steady on my own two feet once more. I stared in wonder at the tall silhouette on the horizon, already able to see the huge swathes of green forest that comprised the island. Absent mindedly, I tugged at the shoulder of the top I was wearing, and realised that it was Marie's greatcoat. Looking down, I saw that she'd left my tights, and I blushed slightly at the thought of what she must think of my fare. :Probably thinks I'm a complete weirdo: I guessed, hugging the half-buttoned coat around me, and focusing my attention back on the Forest Haven.

Unlike Dragon Roost Isle, there were no dark clouds, or any other ominous thing hanging over the island, and I hoped that we'd be lucky, and arrive to find that nothing bad had yet happened. However, on remembering Red's sombre face, I feared that this wouldn't be the case. With the thought of Red in mind, I glanced to either side to try and spot him and the girl, Shadow. After scanning the waves for a few seconds, I spotted them off of the port bow, sailing directly in line with us.

For a few seconds, I panicked when I didn't see a flash of indigo standing up and managing the sail, but then, as we crested a wave, I saw that she was curled up in the keel of the boat, seemingly fast asleep. As if envious of her situation, I felt a yawn coming on, and quickly stifled it. I needed to stay awake now, to make sure that I was fully alert when we got to the island in a few hours. After all, who knew what we might find…?

"Still tired lad?" Marie asked, drawing me out of my dark wonderings.

"A little – but I don't think I'll go back to sleep though… I'll just stay out here. You can go and sleep if you want, and I'll look after the sails and everything."

"Nah, that's all right. This beauty practically looks after herself as it is," she said, carelessly casting her good eye over to Red, just as I had a few moments before. "Oh yes – I was speaking to Red whilst you were asleep; here's your stone back," she grabbed my hand, and then dropped the green stone into my palm. "Sorry about borrowing it, but he started speaking, so I had to rummage around a bit to find it…you don't mind, do you?" She looked sincerely apologetic, and I just smiled, and shook my head,

"No, I don't mind. What were you talking about?" She looked furtively back at the King of Red Lions, and then smiled, somewhat falsely, at me.

"Noth'n in particular, really…"

"Please, Miss Marie, don't keep things from me," I exclaimed, albeit rather more childishly than I had meant to. It didn't matter though, because it did the trick anyway.

"Alrigh', though if it gets me in trouble with Red, I'm telling him you forced my hand, got it?" I just nodded, swaying slightly as we entered a slightly rougher patch of water. "OK then… Well, he just said that Shadow – the girl – is pretty much tired out… She fell asleep just before you woke up actually…I had a few words with her too,"

"What abou-" she rose her hand and effectively cut me off.

"One thing at a time!" I bashfully shut my mouth, and silently waited for her to continue. "As I was saying, he said the girl's very tired, so she may not be going with you onto the island straight away."

"Why would she be going with me anyway-"

"Hush, I was getting to that!"

"Sorry."

"Don't worry, it doesn't matter," she said softly. "Now, may I continue without further interruptions?"

"Yeah – sorry again."

"Right. Well, as you figured out, she was helping you back on Dragon Roost. Now, she's a member of the Sheikah tribe, who are a very secretive people of highly trained warriors and mages. Shadow herself is a warrior, and Red chose her to help you on your quest, and to make sure that you don't get too badly hurt on your adventures."

:Great, so he really does think I'm useless then: I thought, and Marie's eyes widened. I'd said my thoughts aloud again!

"No!" she exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing me by my upper arms. "Of course he doesn't, you silly lad!" she assured me, chuckling a little. "The only reason he has her helping you is because of your lack of experience, my boy. I mean, really, look at how far you have come already, when you have rarely wielded a sword in combat before! Even I'm impressed, and I've seen thousands of treasures and amazing things all over the sea!" I blushed at this, and looked away, only to have her shake me so that I looked back at her.

"Trust me, Rufus, Red just wants to keep you safe and well. Shadow is…like a safety net… Have you ever seen the circus?"

"What? Yes, but I don't see how that ha-" I began, but she cut across me.

"Well, the tightrope walkers and trapeze artists. As good as they are, and as highly trained as they may be, they always have safety nets, don't they?" I nodded slowly, and realised what she was getting at.

"So…she's just there as a sort of…precaution? Just to make sure?" I said haltingly, and she nodded, beaming.

"Yup, that's about the top and bottom of it. Red initially meant for her to work in such a way that you wouldn't know that she was there. But, he evidently underestimated you, because you did notice. So, he's changed his plan, and decided that you two will work together – that way, hopefully things will be easier for the both of you. However, as the girl needs sleep, he wanted me to tell you not to do anything…urm…'too rash', as he put it…until she wakes up again. OK?"

"Yeah, OK," I said, nodding again. She finally let go of my arms, and then spun me around to look up at the Forest Haven, which had become even larger on the horizon whilst we had been speaking.

"Amazing, isn't it? I've been sailing the Great Sea all my life, and never once have I set foot on those shores," she muttered, more to herself than I. "I wonder if the stories of fairies and fireflies are true." Her voice was now so quiet that I knew she was no longer talking to me. I looked over my shoulder, to see that her green eye was glazed, and there was an almost girlish expression of delight on her face. I smiled at her wonder, and then looked back at the island to which we were headed. My head spun with all that had already happened, and all the information I'd been given about what was going to happen.

The sight of a flock of seagulls overhead caught my attention, and the whirling thoughts in my head slowed, before all merging together into one, main thought. :I'm doing this for Aryll. I'll finish this quest as quickly as I can, and then I'll get her out of that terrible Fortress, and we'll both go home to Grandma. And no one will ever take my little sister away from me ever again: I thought fiercely, frowning at the sky, which was sunny and bright blue, not matching my mood whatsoever. :Stupid weather…:

* * *

A few hours later, we finally drew into shore – the King of Red Lions nudged up against the beach next to us, and Marie was out in a flash to grab him and tie him up. She quietly let down the sail so that the wind wouldn't be able to suddenly tug him away from shore, taking care not to wake Shadow, who was still slumbering in the bottom of the boat. I stayed on board Flo, and began taking down the sail there, frequently looking over to where Marie and Red were having a whispered (yet heated) conversation.

Just as frequently, my eyes drifted over to the girl, who was curled up in a tight ball on the deck of the boat, with nothing more than an extra set of clothes to act as blankets. Having felt the chill air this morning, I wondered how she'd fallen asleep at all… Even as I looked, she stirred, and turned over, so that her masked face was now towards me. It had fallen down a little way, so that I could just make out the tip of a pointed nose amongst the folds of fabric. Almost as if she had sensed me looking, she reached up with a sleepy hand, and tugged it back into place, without opening her eyes.

I continued to mess with the sail, finally managing to bring it down and fold it up somewhat neatly. My attention was constantly drawn over to Red and Marie, who were still muttering away to one another. :I wonder what they're talking about: However, if the past few days were anything to judge by, Red wasn't likely to let me in on any secrets anytime soon. :Do they think I can't be trusted or something: Marie abruptly turned away from the King of Red Lions, looking sour but determined.

"What is it?" I asked, as soon as she was within earshot. She scowled, but her face softened slightly when she looked at me.

"I've been sent off to do a few errands for Red, so I'd suggest you go and get your stuff from below," she answered, swinging back onto deck, already holding the landing rope in her hands. "Oh, and you'll need to change the wind so that it blows north west for me lad."

"Are you going to Windfall Isle then?" I guessed, shrewdly. She looked surprised, but nodded all the same.

"How'd you guess?"

"Well, apart from the fact it's the only island I _know_ about north west of here…" I trailed off, grinning, and she grinned back. "Plus that's probably the best place to get supplies and stuff on the whole of the Great Sea."

"Right again," she said, sounding impressed. She looked over her shoulder at the Forest Haven, a wistful smile on her face. "Looks like I won't be exploring this place quite yet…" Again there was that girlish quality about her, and, on impulse, I grabbed the hand in which she clutched the landing rope.

"I'll tell you all about it…if you want me to…when we next meet," I offered. Her face brightened, and she squeaked childishly,

"Would you really do that?"

"Yup!"

"Thanks lad!" she exclaimed, enveloping me in a rather strangling hug. Thankfully, she let go before I passed out altogether. "Anyway, best get your stuff – I've got to leave as soon as may be."

"All right, I'll just be a minute," I said, turning away and hurrying towards the cabin, before pausing as something struck me. "Urm…Marie."

"Yes?"

"Where are my clothes?"

"Hrm? Oh! They're drying over the sink – I'll give you some time to get dressed and whatnot, shall I?"

"Yeah, that'd be good," I nodded, continuing my path to below deck. The smell of the vegetable soup we'd both eaten the day before still lingered in the cabin air, and I hoped that there'd be time to eat before Red sent me off again. Wending my way past the blankets that still lay on the floor, and the stool next to the bed, I reached the sink. As she'd said, my tunic and hat hung over it, dry, but decidedly stiff looking. :Probably all that salt in the water…I wonder if there's anywhere on this island where I can wash my clothes. And my hair for that matter: I tried to flatten it down, but as usual, failed.

Grabbing my clothes, I then searched around for my bag, finally finding it, and my sword and shield, leaning against the far back wall in the corner. I picked up my effects, and bought them over to the bed along with my clothes. Dumping my bag and weaponry, I ran my hands over the almost crispy fabric of my tunic, and then, cringing slightly at the odd sensation, yanked it on over my head. Wriggling around in order to get it on straight, I knocked Marie's greatcoat onto the floor (I had shed it as soon as I'd entered the cabin.) I bent down and picked it up; something tinkled out of one of the pockets.

Looking around furtively, I scooped the shining object off of the floor. At the first glance, it didn't really look all that impressive – it was just a small triangular piece of gold. Two of the edges looked a little wonky, as though they'd either been melted, or worn down in some way. Only one of the edges was crisp, with sharp edges and a flat bottom. It buzzed slightly against my palm, and felt warm. I bought it closer to my face, thinking that I'd seen something else on the golden surface…it looked like a woman…with shining blue eyes and hair to match. Stars sparkling around her image, and her skin glowing as brightly as a fairy's…

Footsteps heading towards the steps down from the deck alerted me, and I quickly shoved the triangular thing out of sight. Then, I picked up my belt from the mattress of the bed, and started fumbling with the buckle, to make it seem as though everything was normal. Marie just raised an eyebrow at my belt difficulties, and picked up her coat from where I'd laid it over the stool. "Nearly done?" she inquired.

"Yeah, nearly," I told her, finally managing to do up the blasted belt buckle. I picked up my sword and shield, and strapped them onto my waist and back respectively. Then, I grabbed my pack, and followed her back out onto deck. She paused at the doorway, stepping aside to let me past.

"Well, good bye for now lad," she said. "And good luck."

"Thanks – and thanks for looking after me so well," I answered, remembering my manners at last. She just smiled and shook her head,

"It was no problem… Now, off you go, I get the feeling Red probably wants to speak to you." I looked to the left, where Red was tied up, and saw that he was looking over at me. :Looks like she's right.: I went over to the prow, which overhung the beach, and swung my legs over the side. Then, after a last turn back to wave at Marie, I jumped off, and landed hard on the sand below. Immediately, Flo began to drift away from shore. "Hey, lad, don't forget, you need to change the wind for me!"

"Oh yeah," I said, hurriedly slipping off my pack and fishing around for the Wind waker. I found it pretty quickly, and after a few seconds memory-search, remembered the melody Zephos had taught me. I made an anticlockwise circle, and then tapped out two downbeats, followed by one upbeat, finishing with a final clockwise circle. Just as had happened on Dragon Roost Isle, the whole world seemed to stand still. "North west," I commanded, and suddenly everything began to move again. The sail of Flo (which Marie had managed to erect in record time), billowed and filled, swiftly taking her away from land.

"See you soon lad!" she yelled.

"Bye!" I called back, waving as she quickly sped off. The King of Red Lions coughed demurely, and I turned to face him. "Marie said you might want to speak to me?"

"Aye, that I do Rufus. Come over here so I don't have to shout, if you will – I don't want to wake her unless it's necessary!" He turned his head to look at the still slumbering Shadow, who had turned over again, and now had her back to me.

"Is she all right?" I asked, more than a little worried, considering she'd been out in the cold for so long.

"She's fine," he assured me, "just very tired. Now, come over her and sit by me so we can talk." I did as he asked, plonking down on the cool sand next to him, and shedding my sword, shield and pack as I did so. "I trust you're feeling better?"

"Much, thank you," I said, smiling.

"Good, good…" He looked up and over my head at the island behind me, and I saw a dark shadow cross his face. He then looked back at me pensively. "Rufus…I wonder…have you heard of the Forest Haven before? I believe your parents may well have visited it-" I spluttered and cut across him,

"You knew my parents!"

"Hush!" he scolded, looking at Shadow – she stretched momentarily, before settling back into her old position.

"You knew my parents?" I repeated, more quietly.

"Not personally, no. But there are many of us on the Great Sea who have heard of their spectacular adventures." I smiled indulgently at this, remembering when my parents used to come back with hours worth of stories to tell from every adventure. "As I was saying, you have probably heard of this place before, haven't you?" I nodded, not quite sure why this was important.

"Well, I've heard about how its full of fairies and fireflies, and flowers that grow as tall as trees. And there are waterfalls all over the place, that come from these great big springs, and-"

"Yes, yes, that's all well and good," he butted in, his tone blasé. "But I suppose you, like most Hylians, are not aware of the great importance of this place." I just shook my head, clueless, and waited for him to continue. "Ah, I thought not… Well, I shall have to tell you then…along with some other things I suppose," he added, on noticing my raised eyebrow and frown.

"As to the Forest Haven… It may well be filled with all those wonders that you have described, but it is not these things that make this place as it is. In fact, all of these things would not be here, were it not for one key factor. The Great Deku Tree, spirit of the earth, and guardian of the great forests of the world before the floods of the Gods rained down upon us…" his eyes were glazed, and I supposed he was remembering those days. "It is the spirit of the Great Deku Tree that makes this place so lush, and green, and full of life… Yet, his spirit also attracts dark things to this place, who would wish to take a great power from him…"

"Let me guess – I am to retrieve this thing of Great Power and bring it to you?" I grinned, scratching my head underneath my hat. He frowned, and I quickly stopped smiling.

"This is no laughing matter Rufus!" he exclaimed harshly. "Do not jest about things like this, no matter how high your spirits. For, should you fail, I dread to think what may happen to you…to me…to Shadow here…and to the rest of the Great Sea…" I trembled at his words, and timidly bid him to continue, apologising at the same time.

"Don't think on it," Red sighed. "I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm sorry. I'm just…worried… But you can't go on until Shadow awakens, so try and keep yourself occupied until then, all right?" He tried for a smile, but it died halfway. Then, he turned his head upwards again, and looked at the lush green forests which covered the island. I stood up, gathering my things as I did so, and began trekking up the beach, looking around for a stream or pool of some sort in which I could wash my face, and possibly my clothes as well.

When I found nothing of the sort, I mentally groaned in frustration, and collapsed onto a conveniently placed boulder, facing out to sea, where I could still just about make up Flo and Marie sailing away. :I hope the girl wakes up soon…I hate just sitting around and doing nothing, whilst Aryll's alone and scared in that cell.: I sniffed as I thought of her, and what a failure I was. I'd come so close to getting her out, but I let myself get distracted by a pretty face!

Sniffing again loudly, I hid my head in my hands, feeling tears insistently press at my closed eyelids. :Crying's not going to help, stupid: I yelled at myself, but that didn't manage to stop the tears. Hiccoughing slightly, I pulled my legs up onto the boulder as well, hugging my knees and looking back up, out to sea. "Aryll, I hope you're safe," I whispered, hoping that even though she was so far away, she'd be able to know that I was thinking about her, and would feel better because of it.

* * *

Some time later (though I'm not sure quite how long it was, as I was so engrossed with hiding my face and my tears away), I heard a slight, startled scream from the bay below. Looking up, I briskly wiped my face with my sleeves (which were abrasive like sandpaper against my skin). The girl was sitting bolt upright in The King of Red Lions, and even from this distance, I could see that her chest was heaving. She looked wildly about, ignoring Red who was trying to calm her down – or at least, that's what I guessed he was trying to do – and when her red eyes fell on me, she became completely still.

I did likewise, caught underneath her stare. Even during our short meeting a couple of days ago, I'd become used to her not meeting my eye, and always casting her gaze to the floor. Having her stare directly at me was unnerving, and I hoped that it wasn't too obvious that I'd been crying. Finally, she moved, though did not remove her gaze from me. Slowly, she rose to her feet, not at all affected when a large wave hit against Red's side and made him wobble. She just daintily stepped out of him, and onto the sand, those red eyes still staring, wide, and uncertain.

She then padded up the beach, reminding me of a cat because of the way she moved – every motion seemed fluid, and this, along with her general aura of mystery, meant that I couldn't bring myself to look away. I looked around for something to say; a greeting, or a question; but I couldn't think of anything, so just waited silently for her to reach me. :What made her scream? And why is she looking at me like that? What's going on: These questions only added to the store of them already careening around in my head, and I shoved them to the back of my mind as best I could.

"Rufus," she whispered, the trace of an accent stronger than it had been last time I'd heard her speak. "I'd suggest that you go and see the Great Deku Tree at once. I have other things that need to be attended to. Should you need to contact me, call Red, and he'll pass on any messages to me." This close up, I could see that her red eyes were bright, and wondered if she too had been crying. She abruptly turned around, and as soon as those fiery orbs left me, I felt the ability to move return to my body.

I hopped down from the boulder, and stood in front of it with my hands behind my back. "Please…Shadow… What's going on?" I asked her. She tensed upon hearing her name, and turned her head to the side, allowing me to see the profile of her face, half buried beneath the mask she wore.

"It's nothing of great concern to you. Do not…don't worry about," she finished, rather lamely. "Go and see the Great Deku Tree; I will be back in time to help you when you need me to." She turned back towards the bay, and added in a mutter that, I nonetheless, heard, "Or at least, I'll try to be."

I took a couple of steps forward, and extended a hand, meaning to catch her by the arm. "Please, don't go!" I begged, the full force of being alone only just hitting me. :I'm just a kid, I shouldn't even be here! I should be at home with Grandma and Aryll, having fun and being safe:

"Why?" she queried softly, and I could see that she was shaking.

"I…I don't…want to be alone…" I admitted quietly, dropping my hand and looking down at the ground morosely. She turned around at this, and I was surprised when she briefly brushed a hand across my shoulder. From the upward tilt of her eyes, I supposed she was smiling.

"You won't be – you have Red to keep you company, do you not?" I looked up at her, and hoped that my feelings were conveyed on my face. :He's just a boat! How can that be good company when all I can do is talk to him through some magic stone: She sighed heavily, "I suppose that isn't exactly the comfort you were hoping for, is it?" she seemed to have guessed what I'd put across on my face. "I…" she hesitated before continuing, "I suppose you may as well know what all that was about…who knows, you may even be able to help," the last part was more to herself than to me.

"Well, what was it about then? Why did you scream?" I asked, taking up a seat beside where she had crouched on the grassy ground. She sighed again, and looked down at the floor.

"Rufus, I… I'm able to see visions," she said simply, and looked at me to see my reaction. I just nodded, willing her to carry on. "And…sometimes they are of things that have already happened, and sometimes of things that are likely to happen. Visions of the future are not always as reliable as visions of the past," she explained, "sometimes there are many different possibilities of things that can happen. What I just saw was…" she took in a deep shuddering breath, "something that I hope never happens. But it well may, and there is only one way I can see of stopping it."

"Stopping what?"

"Deaths. Many, many deaths. Ruination. Torment." I stared at her, shivering at the dread in her voice. "In the vision…I…it was…horrible," she ended, wrapping her arms around herself. Not quite sure whether it was proper or not, I reached out and touched one of her hands. She jumped a little, and stared at my hand on hers, but didn't reprimand me. Instead, she reached up with her free hand and placed it over my one. "Thank you," she murmured.

"That's all right. Is there – anything I can do – to help I mean?" She shook her head.

"I think the best thing you can do is to carry on…I must go and retrieve something most important."

"What is it you're looking for?" I asked, feeling slightly calmer now that she seemed to have calmed down a little herself. I shoved my hands into my pockets to warm them up, and my bright hand came up against something cool, smooth, and somewhat triangular. Curiously, and with some feeling of dread, I pulled it out of my pocket, and groaned aloud. "Oh no!"

"What?" Shadow was drawn out of some reverie or other, and looked over at me. When her eyes caught the small triangular lump, she gasped. "What the- Where did you get _that_!" I looked guiltily up at her, and answered timidly,

"Marie. I didn't mean to take it – it just fell out of her pocket, and I had to get it out of sight. I must have put it in my pocket by mistake, I really didn't mean to-" She held up a bandaged hand, and shook her head, and my eyes widened when I actually heard her laugh.

"Oh Gods Rufus, don't you know what that is?"

"Urm…no?" I answered, non-plussed.

"Here, pass it to me so I can check something." She held out one hand, and with the other fumbled with a pouch on her belt. I dropped the metal thing into her upturned palm, and watched as she drew out some egg-shaped thing will holes in it. This she put upon her knee, and she held the golden triangle next to it, looking between the two objects. Her brows came down and knitted together. "It's not big enough…maybe…" she ran her fingers along the edges, and then nodded. "Of course, they must have split it so it would be harder to find… Ingenious!"

"Urm…not to be rude…but I have no idea what's going on," I declared, shuffling a few inches closer to try and figure out what she was doing. She looked up, eyes sparkling merrily.

"You've just saved me an awful lot of bother and hardship by getting this. Of course, we'll need to find the rest, but we're a step up on Dragmire now…" On seeing that I was still clueless, she laughed again. "I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense am I?"

"Not really, no."

"Thought as much…well, let me explain. This," she held up the small golden triangle, "is part of the great Tri-Force. If I'm not mistaken, it's actually part of the Tri-Force of Wisdom…"

"But, wasn't that held by the legendary Princess-"

"Zelda?" I nodded. "Yes, it was. But, on her death, it returned to the Sacred Realm, and it was only after the great flood that it returned to the world. I never – not in my wildest dreams – I never thought I'd see it for real!" she exclaimed excitedly. "And, now that we have it, Dragmire won't be able to find it and use its power against us, because he will only find half of the piece!" I nodded, pretending to understand her. She looked positively ecstatic, and suddenly asked, "Are you ready to go and see the Great Deku Tree now?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I suppose I am… Are you going to come with me, or are there still other things you need to do?" It was hard to keep the bitter tone out of my voice, and she looked slightly abashed.

"No, I believe I've done everything I needed to," she answered, speaking a lot more stiffly, and with a lot less accent than she had been before. "We'd best go back down to Red and tell him that we're going now then, hadn't we?"

"Good idea," I answered, with little enthusiasm. She stood up, and hurried off down the beach, not bothering to wait for me. About ten minutes ago, I had still thought of her as an interesting (if mysterious) helper. But, now I wondered if Red had chosen the right person to accompany me. She didn't seem to be used to being with other people, let alone helping them, and I wasn't entirely sure that I trusted her. :Idiot, she saved your life, didn't she:

:Yeah…but… She's just so…cold. Formal. _Weird!_ I wonder if all Sheikah are like that: I'd never even heard the word before Marie had said it that morning, so I knew nothing of the race, other than the fact that they trained as warriors and mages. Annoyed by the fact that it seemed all this journey was giving to me was a giant headache from all the questions in my mind, I headed off down the incline towards the beach after Shadow. She was already at the bottom, talking to Red in a brusque manner.

"We're going to go and see the Great Deku Tree now," she told him.

"What about your vision? What did it tell you?" he asked, sounding truly concerned. She just shrugged,

"Just something that could happen…but…you don't need to worry. Luckily, Rufus here has the very thing to make sure what I saw never will happen." Red turned to look at me quizzically, and I realised that she still had the triangular gold piece. This, she had held in her clenched fist, and she opened it to show Red the small shining thing. He gasped,

"Surely not. It-it can't be!"

"It is," she closed her fist, and bent down to scoop a small pack from Red's keel. "Now, we really must be going-"

"Are you sure you're all right to go? You look so pale." She stopped fiddling with the straps of her pack, and bent down. I didn't hear what was said, but saw him nod and look at me, before returning his gaze to her and nodding some more. Feeling annoyed at being left out of the conversation once again, I coughed loudly to draw their attention. Shadow stood up, raking a few awry strands of hair away from her face.

"Do be careful," The King of Red Lion's said, and I smiled warmly at him, raising a hand to my head to give a small salute.

"Aye, aye, cap'n," I called, and heard him snort quietly to himself. Shadow walked up to me, and then looked down at me.

"Come on then; the afternoon's wearing on, and we'll need the light to find our way through the forest," she advised, taking the lead. After one last look back, and a wave to Red, I turned around to follow her, wondering if this was wise. :Oh, come on, you've seen how good a fighter she is. Maybe she's just shaken up by that vision, or whatever it was she saw. Red's right…she does look a bit pale after all.: But, somehow, there was still this feeling of mistrust that I couldn't quite shake. She just seemed…different…

:Though I suppose this could be how she normally is. I mean, it's not as though I know her or anything…: Frowning, I just carried on up towards the green band which signified the start of the forest. Ahead of me, Shadow was walking very quickly, and had already put quite some distance between herself and me. Her fists were clenched, and she violently shook her head a couple of times, managing to dislodge the scrap of material that kept her curly platinum hair out of the way. Then, she seemed to calm down again, as her fists loosened, and her pace slowed, so that I could catch up with her.

"We'll need to follow the river," she pointed upwards to where a shimmering silver waterfall erupted from the verdant trees. "The Great Deku Tree sits in a hollow from which the only spring on the island comes, and makes it the purest water around with his magic," she informed me. I just looked wistfully at the water as we approached, and hoped that she'd stop next to it. Thankfully, she did, falling to her knees next to a deep pool in which the water collected, before running down a deep gully towards the ocean. She dipped both hands into the water, and gulped it down. "Well, are you going to drink or not?"

I immediately collapsed onto the bank, and not feeling in the mood to be dainty about it, leant out over the water, and drank directly from the pool. From the corner of my eye, I noticed her finish her drink, and look at me with unhidden amusement. I ignored her, and carried on drinking, finding that it was taking the edge off of how hungry I was, as well as sating my thirst.

When I was done drinking, she stood up again, and we began our trek through the dappled light of the forest to find this 'Great Deku Tree'. :Whatever that is…:

* * *

It wasn't long before the river widened, meandering a path through the forest. It was surprisingly devoid of life, though the water was clear, and had refreshed me greatly when I drank some of it earlier on. Looking around, I hoped to spot some sort of life, other than Shadow, but nothing presented itself. I shivered a little, finding the silence eerie, and the girl ahead of me looked back over her shoulder at me. "It's a bit quiet, isn't it?" she said, more of a statement than a question, and she sounded a lot less hostile than earlier. I just smiled tightly and nodded,

"Just a bit… I thought there'd be…I dunno…just some animals or _something_ around here. It doesn't feel right," I ended, looking back at the clear water in the hopes that I would at least spot some fish or something. But the only thing I could see was the sky reflected back at me, and the small round pebbles at the bottom of the channel. "How much further do you suppose it is?" I called, drawing myself away from the water's edge and hurrying to catch up with her.

"I'm not sure. It can't be too far though – we've already come quite a way in."

"I hope it isn't too far; I'm starved," I proclaimed, now falling into stride next to her. She made a sudden movement, as if to get her bag, but then dropped her hand and looked away from me and into the trees on the left. The hand that I could see clutched tightly onto the strap of the bag over her shoulder, the knuckles of it turning white. I raised my eyebrow, but made no comment, instead looking away and back upstream. The trees ahead seemed to come together in a sort of arch, and beyond that, I could see a blanket of pink and yellow flowers covering the ground of a clearing, which was lit up by the sun.

"Is that it?" I asked, noticing a huge, gnarled tree in the centre of the clearing, with great branches extending out for many feet from the main trunk. It was surrounded by a pool of water, which fed into the river by which we walked.

"I think so, yes," Shadow said, slowing in her pace and allowing me to take the lead. I paused to wait for her, but she just urged me on. "Go ahead – I need to sort out my boots," she said, bending down to do just that. I turned around again, and my eyes went wide when I thought I saw a glimmering ball of light duck out of sight beneath the carpet of flowers. However, I wasn't quite sure, and told myself that I might have just imagined it… :I hope I didn't! That could have been a firefly, or even a wild fairy: I thought with a smile, carrying on towards the archway of trees that led into the clearing.

However, my smile soon died away as I stepped into the clearing. For, whilst from further away it had looked a scene of perfect peace, from here I could see that there were monsters crawling all around the beautiful place. Most of them stood around the base of the large tree in the centre, with sharpened spears, and even lit torches in their hands. Smoke billowed from a pile of dry leaves that they had collected, and I could smell them burning even from this distance.

:They're trying to set that tree alight: I realised, already taking out my weapons and starting forwards. The sound of footsteps behind me told me that Shadow was coming, and I felt glad that I'd have some help fighting against all those monsters. "Come on," I urged, "we have to stop them!"

"We?" she echoed, sounding surprised. "No Rufus…this is something you must do alone."

"What – but you – you're meant to-"

"I'd hurry up if I were you, or else one of the lower branches will catch, and then the Great Deku Tree will be doomed," she said, rather airily. I stared at her in disbelief as she just took up a place against one of the trees that made up the entrance into the clearing. "Well, what are you waiting for?" The sound of the creatures around the tree finally noticing our presence jolted me back to reality, and I turned around to see a good number of them careering towards me, weapons raised.

:What in the Gods is she playing at? Isn't she meant to help me? What on all the Great Sea has happened to make her act like this? She was protecting me before, so why is she just leaving me alone to do all the fighting now: All of these questions ran through my mind in a split second, but, then the first of the crowd of monsters reached me, and I didn't have time to think anymore.

Some of the monsters were ones that I could recognise – large bokoblins with crude scimitars and sharpened sticks, and small goblin-like creatures – but there were others that I couldn't put names to at all. A pig-like one with scales on its snout and a whip-like tail hissed at me, displaying a pointed tongue. I just raised my shield, blocking against the large axe that it bought down towards me. The flat metal blade became wedged in my shield, which enraged the monster, as it was unable to pull it out; I leant all my weight backwards as it pulled, making sure that I didn't lose my shield. If I did…well, I was willing to bet they'd finish me off in an instant!

Feeling glad of the training Orca had given me, I lowered my shield a little bit and began to fight back, taking advantage of the fact that none of the creatures I faced seemed to have shields or armour of their own. They weren't very skilled fighters, seeming to prefer just hacking and slashing at whatever got in their way, and I was able to take advantage of this as well, attacking un-protected sides, and using my quick footwork to make sure that the monsters didn't surround me.

I managed to look over my shoulder once or twice back towards the arch, but didn't catch sight of Shadow again. :I guess she's abandoned me then: I decided, and this in itself incurred a huge wave of anger inside me. :How dare she? When Red went to all that trouble to get her to help me! She just runs off and leaves me all alone with all these monsters to fight: One of the pig-lizard things swung one of those roughly hewn axes at me, and I dodged out of the way, not fancying another tug of war over my shield. The weapon became stuck in the floor, and it grunted as it tried to pull it out again; I just swung my sword sideways, and it fell to the ground, disappearing as it fell.

A bokoblin immediately stepped into to take its place, along with a couple of small goblins. I jumped backwards as the large bokoblin swept at me with its rusty sword, and then countered with a swipe of my own which succeeded in cutting off its hand and rendering it weaponless. Feeling a little sick at the sight, I turned my attention to the small goblin creatures, one of whom had managed to get past my defences, and had jabbed me in the leg with its sharpened stick. Annoying, I kicked it away, and glanced down at my leg. :It's not too bad – I'll fix it up later.:

The monsters carried on coming, and I began to feel tired. After all, I'd only just come out a fever, hadn't eaten a decent meal for over a day, and well, I wasn't exactly the best fighter in the world either. I scanned the area again, taking care to block any attacks that came my way, and finally spotted Shadow next to the burning pile of leaves, which she was fast putting out. A few monsters noticed my line of sight, and hurried back over. She looked up, and faster than the eye could see, had a dagger in each hand.

Assured that she was, at least, still alive, I returned to my own battles. I'd felled all of the pig-lizards, leaving three bokoblins and about a dozen of the small goblin creatures. The little ones hung back, looking as though they were scared. The one I'd kicked was chattering away madly, and hopping up and down with its pointy stick raised above its head. :Little fella looks a little annoyed: I thought, managing a smile. My smile didn't stay for long though, because the three bokoblins chose that moment to cleverly combine forces and rush me.

I raised my shield, but not in time – one of their swords grazed my right shoulder, sending burning pain down the entire right hand side of my body. "Gods!" I yelped, dropping my shield altogether in shock. This meant that I only had my sword left, which seemed to make the little monster I'd kicked very pleased. It made a sound of joy, and still jabbering, led its fellows forward to join the bokoblin attack. I gulped, and wildly swung, managing to get one of the bokoblins in the advancing wall of monsters.

Looking over my shoulder as I backed away, I saw that the edge of the trees was coming closer and closer – they were hemming me in! "Shadow!" I yelled, praying that she'd deign to help me. Whilst engaging one of the two remaining bokoblins in combat, I looked over to where she'd last been, but was unable to spot her. I wasn't able to look any longer, as this was one of the intelligent looking females, with a sword in each hand. She bore her teeth at me in a twisted grin, and then bought both weapons crashing down together. In the split second I had before they cleaved me in two, I thought about my options. Stay still, and be cut into pieces, or throw myself sideways and into the crowd of small goblin creatures that swarmed around my legs.

Deciding the second option was the better one, I dived, and rolled over and over across the lush grass of the clearing. Pain erupted all over my body almost immediately as the little goblins swarmed, brandishing their sticks aloft and crying triumphantly as they prodded me with them. The one I'd kicked climbed onto my chest and jumped up and down like I was some sort of prize he'd one. I just lifted my sore left arm and ran him through with my sword. The joy of getting it off was short lived when I realised there were about eleven or so more of them all crowded around me in a rather mincing manner.

The two remaining female bokoblins didn't even bother to come at me anymore, instead looking at each other with expressions akin to triumph. The one of the left (the one who had attacked me previously) bore her teeth again, though the look on her face was different. Rather than amusement, I could detect pain, and when she fell over forwards, I saw that there was a dagger in her back. It clattered to the floor when she disappeared, and the other bokoblin looked wildly about. Her eyes fell on me, and narrowed when she saw the sword I held in my left hand.

She took one step forwards, and then the same expression appeared on her face, and she fell over forwards, a dagger also in her back. The little goblin creatures ceased prodding me, and looked around fearfully at their fallen comrades. Something whistled past my ear, and struck the goblin standing nearest me. After that, the rest of the troupe dispersed, running off into the trees with shrieks of terror. Another dagger fell to the floor, and I dropped my sword onto the grass, reaching around to check my right shoulder with my good hand.

Thankfully, there wasn't much blood coming from the wound. When I checked the one on my leg, I saw that it had already begun to dry, so decided not to worry about it. Shadow hadn't reappeared yet, but I guessed the daggers must be hers.

Slowly, I sat up, groaning as I did so – my head hurt where I'd hit it in my tumble, and I knew by tomorrow morning I'd be covered in livid bruises from the insistent poking of those goblin things.

Just as gingerly, I got up onto my feet, using my sword to help me stand up. My shield lay a few feet away, and I hurried over to pick it up. Not feeling quite safe, I kept my weaponry out, and moved over to the pile of leaves around the base of the large central tree, to make sure that it wasn't about to catch fire again.

Smoke still rose from the untidy pile, curling into wispy fronds as it floated upwards. I walked through the shallow pool of water that surrounded the towering trunk, and came to stop by a group of large lily pads. Carefully, I kicked some more water over the leaves, and then looked up at the tree before me to make sure that none of its branches had caught. Thankfully, none had. However, something about the trunk caught my eye, and I found myself staring in disbelief as I came to realise what it was.

A great, bulbous stump of an old, broken branch, had been weathered away by the rain and the wind, so that it was now round and shaped almost exactly like a giant nose… Two large holes about halfway up the entire tree looked like eyes, and some tendrils of ivy around the bottom, which dipped in the centre of my view, and then raised upwards to twine around the tree, looked like a mouth. I shook my head at such flights of fancy, and looked around to try and spot whoever it was I'd been sent to see about the Great Power Red needed me to get.

When nothing presented itself, I huffed loudly, and put away my weapons. Nothing had yet leapt out at me, so I guessed that I'd already faced all the monsters I needed to worry about. Scuffing my feet through the water as I did so, I turned around and walked away from the tree, intending to find somewhere to sit down and properly sort out my wounds. As I went past the giant lily pads, they rose up and down on the ripples I made. Curiously, having heard tales about lilies that full-grown men could stand on, I reached out a hand and pressed down on the leaf.

When it didn't so much as give underneath my fingers, I cautiously leant my whole weight on it via my arm. When it still didn't do anything other than sink about an inch in the middle where I was pressing, I felt confident about its strength. Turning around, I half fell, half jumped backwards onto the leaf, so that I landed in the middle. It moulded around my shape, and the feeling of the water beneath the leaf made me feel like I was floating on nothing. Sighing, I drew my legs up onto the leaf, and looked at the injured one.

I'd just started to look around in my pack for some potion to put on my cuts, when I heard a creaking sound from the tree behind me. I looked around, and didn't even have time to gasp before a large booming voice began to speak, though I was unable to understand. I just watched the vine open a rip within the bark of the tree, and it began to move to form the sounds that were being made – the holes for the eyes twitched animatedly, narrowing and then widening as the tree spoke in a surprised tone.

:I've gone mad. There is a tree talking to me. I'm dead, I died, this is hell, where everything is weird…: I thought, backing away from the tree by shuffling backwards on my butt. However, I'd forgotten where I was, and suddenly tumbled off of the lily pad altogether, and into the cool, shin deep water. When I resurfaced, I saw that the tree was looking down at me in a quizzical way, and I just attempted a shy smile, crawling back onto the lily and looking up. :Should I say something? What if it doesn't understand what I say:

"I must apologise. I was in error…I saw your clothing and suddenly I longed for an age gone by. Such a longing caused the ancient tongue to pass my lips," the tree explained, and I nodded, pretending that I understood, all the while keeping as far back on the lily as I dared. He continued, "I'm the guardian spirit of this, the Forest Haven, the Great Deku Tree, and I owe you my thanks for saving me from those foul creatures!" I smiled again, this time a little more comfortably, though I was still a little freaked out.

"I-I," I began nervously.

"Yes young one?"

"The – the King of Red Lions sent me," I continued more boldly. "He says that you have a Great Power that we need…?"

"Ah," the vine became down turned in a sombre frown. "So it is true… Ganondorf has indeed returned…no wonder such despicable creatures have been roaming this land recently." He took in a deep breath. "In that case, we must make haste!"

"Indeed, we must." I whipped my head around to see Shadow, with a flaming torch held in one hand, and a dagger in the other. "Great Deku Tree, my regards, but we cannot afford to waste much time. Hand us the Pearl, and we will be on our way."

"And who are you, young Sheikah, to order me around so?" he boomed, though not in a menacing way. Shadow didn't answer, instead dropping the hand that held her dagger to her waist, and taking out the large blue ocarina from earlier. The Great Deku Tree gasped. "The descendant of the Shadow sage?" he said, voice now quite and breathy. "By Din…"

"Come along sir, we haven't the time to tarry on your memories of a sunken land," she spat, still holding the pearlescent instrument in shaking hands. I was shocked by her tone, and sent her a dark warning look. She just made a rude gesture towards me with the hand that held the torch, and then stood, tapping her foot expectantly on the ground.

"I cannot – not yet. There is something I would wish this young hero to do first," he turned his great eyes back to me. Shadow, however, didn't seem too happy with this, as she marched forward, splashing through the water, towards the pile of leaves still smouldering slightly at the roots of the tree.

"I'm not feeling in the mood to wait around for you, old one," she growled, and her voice sounded unlike anything I had heard from her before.

"No Sheikah would have ever spoken to me as such back in the-"

"Well, we're not back in the good old days of Hyrule anymore, are we?" she exploded. "A lot of things have changed around here, and the balance of power has long been awaiting change!" she laughed with abandon, and bought the torch dangerously close to the kindling pile. "The pearl, if you please."

"Never – not to you, Dragmire!" One of the great branches bent down, without the aid of any wind or extra weight, and literally threw the indigo clad girl away from the pile of dry twigs and leaves. The torch fell from her hands and landed in the water, hissing and popping as the flame went out. She landed in a heap on the shore, and I made to go towards her. "Stay where you are!" he barked. Shadow remained unmoving where she was, and I looked between the two of them in worry.

"Fairies, you must help our Sheikah before she is consumed by Dragmire's will," the tree bellowed, and hundreds of small, sparkling lights suddenly appeared from beneath the flowers that littered the floor. The whole clearing became dazzling under their light, as it sparkled off the pools of water and streams that criss-crossed the ground. The fairies manoeuvred themselves so that they encircled the Sheikah girl, covering her completely from my sight as they did so.

"I would shield your eyes, young one," the tree advised. I lifted up both hands, ready to do so, but peered through my fingers to try and figure out what was going on. When a flash of bright light erupted from the fairy mass, I squeezed my eyes tight shut and pressed my hands against my eyes, making spots appear on my eyelids. There was no sound at all, and I could still see the light shining even through my eyelids and hands. Only when I could no longer see it did I take my hands away and open my eyes.

The light still lingered, and died away slowly, until eventually, it was only the small, gentle glow of each fairy that lit the clearing. They began to disperse, allowing me to see that Shadow was still lying where she had fallen, and was breathing deeply as though asleep. When I began to move towards her this time, the Great Deku Tree made no move to stop me.

Within three strides, I was next to her. I bent down, and tapped her on the shoulder. She squirmed and scrunched up her eyes. "Want sleep," she grumbled, turning her face away and batting at my hand. I tapped again, and groaning, she opened her eyes. Compared to earlier, they looked positively friendly and normal, and she blinked a couple of times up at me, before simply saying, "Rufus?" in her soft voice, "What…what am I doing lying on the floor?" Then, a dark thought seemed to flutter across her mind, and she closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, before opening them wide, with a shocked look on her face.

"Rufus! Oh my Gods, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, grabbing the hand that I'd tapped her on the shoulder with, and squeezing it. "I – I didn't mean to – he just took control, and-"

"Explain it later, young Sheikah," the Great Deku Tree interrupted. "There are other things that must be discussed.

* * *

_I don't like this chapter. After the arrival to the island, it just gets icky. But it had to be done. Apologies for abrupt ickiness, angstiness, confusal and heavy speech. My head hurts. I think I'm going to go and lie down, and try to figure out what the hell I've just written about. :Smiles as sweetly as she can:. I want a beta-reader so badly it hurts… :Cries pitifully.:_

_Soda_

_PS: One of these days, I should really get around to starting my geography coursework…hrm… _

_PPS: I did attempt to actually download a Hylian text font. But…my computer, being the darling that it is, decided not to let me…hence a lack of stuff actually written in old Hylian. Heh…_

_PPPS: Seriously, I'm willing to take this chapter down and seriously rethink it if people don't like it. I'm not sure if I do or not. The idea seemed grand when I came up with it, yet I don't think I put it across in a very good way. :Grumble: _


	16. Shadow: Relinquish Control

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter (which we all know I didn't like :mutters to self:) Rufus managed to reach the Great Deku Tree, yet Shadow was acting oddly towards him. Sometimes she was as co-operative and helpful as she was on Dragon Roost, and at other times she was hostile and seemed downright mad. The name Dragmire was mentioned, but this confused Rufus, who could only watch as his Sheikah companion changed moods like he can change the wind. Now to see exactly what happened to Shadow, and how Dragmire managed to gain control…_

_For all of the people who have reviewed so far, and put up with my erratic updates. You people rock._

_Thoughts : double hyphens : visions and dreams italics. Ganondorf thoughts in / slashes, hehehe /_

* * *

**_Shadow: Relinquish Control_**

As soon as I was sure that Rufus was well, down below in the hold of Flo, and saw Marie reappear above deck, I untied the landing rope. Swiftly, the wind, which had been tugging at the sails for some time now, catapulted Red and I away from land, and out onto the open sea. Thankfully, though the wind was strong, the waves were relatively calm, which made a pleasant change from all the previous journeys I had taken over the Great Sea in the past few weeks. 

Looking around, I saw that Flo, with her more bulky frame and extra weight, was lagging behind, and swiftly disappearing from sight. The King of Red Lions seemed to notice this fact at the same time as I did. He craned around to look at me. I looked down, and hazarded a guess at what he was going to say, "Shall I drop the sail to half mast?" 

"That was just what I was going to suggest," he nodded, a slight smile twisting his wide mouth upwards. "Don't want to leave them too far behind…you never know what will happen in these waters." I grabbed onto the sail rope and began to tug it downwards so that the sail dropped down – we slowed in the water, and Flo was able to make some ground on us. 

"I hope that doesn't mean we'll have another trip like the one to Windfall," I grunted, as a particularly strong gust of wind threatened to pull the sail out of my hands altogether, before I'd had a chance to tie it off.

"So do I," he agreed with a dark frown. "From what I remember, there shouldn't be too much trouble…before Valoo arrived on Dragon Roost, the Rito used this as a direct channel to the Forest Haven, and I believe they ensure to keep it clear for other travellers, even if they no longer use it," he informed me, nodding to himself when he saw that we were now sailing roughly in tandem with our fellow vessel. She still lagged behind a little, the slap of the waves against her hull no more than a distant hum. :I doubt a Hylian would even pick that up: I thought, remembering Rufus' attempt at silent footsteps. 

"Red?" I began, realising that we still hadn't discussed what was to happen when we reached the Forest Haven in a couple of days time. 

"Aye?" 

"I was just wondering…what do you propose to do? When we get to the Forest Haven, I mean…? Rufus knows of me…so would you still wish me to tail him, or…?" I trailed off, waiting for an answer. He just hummed to himself, obviously thinking about it. I respectfully remained silent, carefully moving to the stern so that I could sit down, and steer with the rudder at the same time. :I suppose it'd probably be more sensible to work with him. Otherwise I'm willing to bet he'll be even more distracted that he was in the Cavern…: My train of thought seemed to be running in much the same direction as Red's, as only half a minute later, he lifted his head from watching the waves rush by, to meet my eyes. 

"I believe travelling alongside him might be best. He already knows of you after all, so it only seems sensible…" I nodded my agreement. "Good, good… Hrm…perhaps we should speak of this with Marie?" 

"She doesn't have a stone, does she?" I asked, sure that the pirate did not. 

"Ah – no…she doesn't," he answered. "Blast." He looked over at Flo again, and then an idea seemed to dawn on him. "She doesn't – but Rufus does. I could always ask to speak to her through that." 

"Maybe we should wait until he's settled and asleep before you try that?" I ventured, willing to bet that he wouldn't really wish the boy to hear us discussing his future adventures. 

"Indeed. Though…how will we know _when_ he's asleep?" 

"Good question," I conceded. "Shall we just wait until this evening, and try then?" 

"If you think that's the best course action…" I shifted uncomfortably at being given the decision on the matter. :He should be giving _me_ the orders, not the other way around: I didn't answer immediately, instead looking back at our sister boat again, taking in the peeling paint on the sides, and even managing to spy Marie just coming out onto deck, in order to check the sail, and correct their course. "Well? It's up to you Shadow…shall we wait till nightfall?" he pushed. 

"I-well, I- I think so, yes," I decided, smiling slightly when I saw Marie's legs become entangled in the sail rope, and thought I heard a curse drift across on the wind. "Yes, we'll wait until then. And we'll have to ensure that Marie's below deck at the time, or it'll be quite futile." 

"You can keep a lookout on that matter, can't you?" 

"Yeah, I can," I said, nudging the rudder to the right, so that we started to drift closer to Flo. A large yawn escaped my mouth, mercifully silent. I took a deep breath and blinked a few times, forcing back the sleep that wished to claim me. :I need to stay awake and keep us on course for Gods sakes! Falling asleep isn't exactly going to help: However, I found that it was quite difficult to help it; I hadn't slept properly in a long time now, and with my magic completely gone, it wasn't easy to stop my eyes from drifting closed… 

"Shadow." I started, having drifted into a stupor. The Kind of Red Lions was looking around at me, with an amused but kindly expression on his face. "Maybe you should sleep now… You're still not looking quite well," he advised, tone worried. 

"But- I need to keep us on course-" 

"That's quite all right! One of the benefits of being the only talking boat that sails the Great Sea, is also being the only boat that can also steer itself!" he proclaimed, rather proudly. I just blinked a few times, taking this information in. He seemed to take this as hesitation, and added, "If we come to any danger, I will wake you, you needn't worry about that. But you really should rest…you've done so much already, and I'd wish you to be in the best of health when it comes to aiding the lad again." 

"Well…if you're sure," I murmured haltingly, not taking my hands from the rudder. 

"Quite sure." 

"…All right then. Just- wake me when you want to speak to Marie." 

"Will do – now, try and get some sleep whilst the water's calm." :I don't like the sound of that: I thought with a slight frown. :I hope there are no storms waiting for us over the horizon…: Delicately, I let go of the rudder, and then saw it move by itself back into position as Red took control. Looking around, I saw that I'd left my pack at the base of the mast; ducking out of the way of the boom as it swung across and to the other side of the boat, I grabbed it. Then, I removed the new fare I'd purchased on Windfall Island , and tied it like a cloak around me. 

The new shirt I wadded into a ball, and placed it against the seat that sat next to the rudder, as a makeshift pillow. Then, a little stiffly, because of the cramped confines of the boat, I lay down, curling my legs up towards me to try and keep warm. Despite the strong sun, the breeze ensured that it was chilly out here on the water, and I shivered a little as I altered my position at least a dozen times before finding one that was comfortable enough. Again reminding myself that I'd had a lot worse, I closed my eyes, and hugged my arms around my torso.

* * *

_"How is she?" a hushed voice drifted through a poorly lit corridor. Two shadowy figures stood together, the woman who'd spoken tightly clutching onto the hands of the other in the hallway. When a flash of light from a passing carriage lantern filtered through the window and onto the two of them, I saw that the other was a man. He was tall, with wheat-coloured tresses framing a haggard looking face, and deeply tanned skin surrounded eyes that were as pale as shards of ice. He squeezed the hands of the woman (who I recognised as Marie; here, she was already bearing an eye patch.)_

_"Not well," he murmured, biting his lip as soon as the words left his mouth, and looking furtively about. "She's been calling for him…I didn't have the heart to…to tell her…" He dropped his head, and Marie reached out to catch him beneath the chin._

_"You did all you could; we all did. But it was his own foolish fault!" Both of them smiled wanly, though their eyes were over bright. "We should never have gone that close." Marie shook her head ruefully. The man just made a small sound of agreement in his throat, which quickly changed into a sob, which convulsed through him and erupted into the charged air. Startled, I took a step back, and bumped into a wall; turning around, I found that it was, on closer inspection, in fact a door._

_"It could kill her. We mustn't tell her, for her own sake," the man decided, drawing back from Marie and wiping his eyes stubbornly._

_"Hasn't she a right to know?" Marie hissed, catching his hands again and squeezing them. He drew a deep, shuddering breath, and averted his eyes once more._

_"…Yes…but not now. One thing at a time Marie, just one bloody thing at a time."_

_"All right," she nodded. "Shall we go in to see her?" The man nodded, and together, they began to slowly walk towards me – I instinctively stepped out of their way, even though they could walk through me if they so wished. :I'm not even really here after all…: "How's the girl doing?" The man's face brightened somewhat,_

_"Well – very well in fact! She already looks so much like him…I think that is at least some comfort to her." Marie nodded, and reached out a hand to the door handle. Gently, she twisted it, and pushed the door open. As soon as she did, a gust of air rushed out of the room, and I was almost overpowered by the smell of sickness that erupted. Gagging, I placed a hand over my mouth and nose to try and lessen the impact of the smell. Even so, I followed the two of them into the room, which was lit by the light of just one lantern, the flame of which had been turned down as low as it would go._

_"Lirae?" the man ventured in a whisper, squinting to penetrate the harsh gloom. "It's us – Marie and-"_

_"Luca?" the woman in the bed stirred suddenly, and I started at her gaunt features. :The dark haired woman:_

_"No Lirae, it's Vic," Marie corrected the woman. Lirae's eyes, which had briefly lit up, abruptly dulled, and she collapsed back onto the pillows._

_"Damn my eyes – I can't see as well as I'd like," she cursed darkly, turning away from the others in the room, to look at the cot which lay next to her bed. "Every time I look at the little monster…I see him…" she scowled, violently turning the other way, to face the miniscule flame of the lantern. Vic seemed startled by this reference to the sleeping baby in the cot as a monster._

_"Lirae, the girl is no monster – see, she's sleeping like an angel," he pointed out, striding over and leaning over the cot to smile fondly at the sleeping child within._

_"Get away from her!" the dark haired woman barked, voice cracking as she did so. "And get away from me, you fiend! How dare you share the likeness of my love? Get out I say, out!" she ranted and raved, her voice heightening in both volume and pitch. "Where is my Luca? Why isn't he here yet? He must see his daughter – our Tetra. If you won't bring him to me, I shall go out and find him!" with this, she swung her legs out from beneath the covers, and tried to stand. But, they wouldn't take her weight, and she collapsed heavily on the floor._

_There, she began to cry, battering her fists on the floor and screaming swear words. Marie stepped forwards, reaching out to grab the dark haired woman, but she lashed out with a growl. "Get away from me!" Lirae shrieked. With all this commotion, the baby awoke, and began to cry, the anguished sounds mingling with those of its mother's. Marie and Vic looked at one another, unsure of whom to comfort._

_Gently, the man leant down into the cot, and lifted the child out. He held onto the tiny girl's head to keep it supported well, and bounced the child up and down as he carried it over to the dark haired woman. "Please…please Lirae…she needs her mother," he implored, kneeling down next to Marie in front of the tantruming woman. When she took no notice, and the baby continued to cry, Marie reached out and grabbed the woman firmly by the shoulder._

_"Lest you wish us to take Tetra away, you must look after her Lirae. You are her mother, and you cannot act like a child now that you have one of your own!" she said sternly, and the dark haired woman looked up at her in shock. Desperate and furious tears clung onto her eyelashes, trembling as she clawed her way into a sitting position. Then, demurely, she reached out her arms for the child._

_"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm sorry…sorry…I…Luca… Just…wish he was here," she hiccoughed, accepting the child as it was handed to her, and cooing over it. Immediately, it stopped crying, and clamped onto the material of her sweat-soaked shirt with a tiny, pudgy fist. "My Tetra; you'll be a great pirate one day. Just like your father," at this, Marie and Vic exchanged glances, but luckily she didn't notice. I watched them sit like that on the floor, relaxing as the four before me calmed down. The tension and worry, previously palpable in the air, settled down, and I leant against the wall, smiling as the baby suddenly burped, and then blinked in surprise at the sound it had just made._

_The three adults smiled as well, fondly looking at the small child. Lirae just kissed it on the top of its head, which already held a fine downy covering of hair, and hugged it closer to her chest. "My lovely girl," she whispered, stroking the top of the babe's head with her left hand, and supporting the child with her right. Outside, another carriage went past; those in the room ignored it, but I frowned when I heard it draw to a halt, and a door open. :It's probably nothing…people get in and out of carriages all the time.:_

_Yet, when a rap came at the door, all of them were startled out of their reverie, and looked wildly at the door that led into the hall, which was still ajar. Something felt sinister here, and I silently implored them not to answer the door. "I wonder who that could be?" Marie pondered, looking at the other two with a bemused smile. They just shrugged, Lirae wincing slightly as she twitched a painful muscle. Her arms loosed a little around the child, and Vic was there immediately to catch her._

_"We ought to get you back into bed," he said, and she complied readily. The baby was placed back in the cot, where it gurgled merrily, waving its legs in the air. Vic smiled and shook his head, and then snapped his head up when another rap came at the door. "They're rather impatient, whoever they are," he commented, now aiding Lirae back into the bed, and pulling the covers back over her._

_"I'll get it," Marie offered, groaning slightly as she lifted herself from the floor. I noticed her wrap her hand around a small, golden triangle. "Hey – Vic," she beckoned him over before leaving the room. "She dropped this…I think you should look after it until she is well again," she dropped the small triangle into his outstretched hand. He looked down at it, and gulped audibly, new tears springing in his eyes._

_"B-but…that was Luca's job…" he protested weakly, trying to give it back to her._

_"It's yours now," she told him, and jumped slightly when the person at the door began to hammer on it in an alarming manner. "Gods, what can be so important that it warrants waking the whole neighbourhood?" she exclaimed, hurrying out into the hallway._

_My feeling of dread growing every second, I followed her out, unable to help unhitching my weapons from my back. It was hard to fight back the instinct, so I just allowed it to happen, and focused on the door before us instead. "Hang on, I need to draw back the bolts," Marie hollered through the thick wood, and the knocking abruptly ceased. She tutted and shook her head, struggling with the bolt, which seemed a little stiff. With a sudden spring, it flew back, and she tugged the door open, smiling slightly as the door drifted open to show her visitor._

_A tall, cloaked man stood there, large hands resting on a cane, deeply tanned and sinewy. Marie just blinked, and smiled more widely. "I'm sorry sir, but what business is it you have here? I don't believe I've seen your face before around the town."_

_"No, you wouldn't have done," he answered, and I immediately recognized the voice. Just as quickly, I rushed forwards, trying to grab the door, trying to slam it shut and prevent whatever terrible thing that was going to happen from happening. But my hand just flew past the wood, through it, out onto the other side. Neither of them noticed a blind thing, and I cursed silently as the vision dragged me back, and forced me to watch this disaster unfold._

_Marie tilted her head to the side slightly, and then seemed to remember her manners. "Well, sir, I shouldn't wish to leave you standing out on the step in such cold weather. Come inside and we can discuss your business then, perhaps?"_

_"That sounds like a pleasant idea," he nodded, and stepped into the hallway, dwarfing it with his great height. Marie reached out and pulled the door closed in order to shut out the billowing clouds of cold._

_"Marie, who was it at the-?" Vic asked, stepping out of the other room with a soft smile on his face. On catching sight of the tall man however, he blanched, and looked quickly to Marie. "Marie – what is the business of this man here?" he asked sharply._

_"I'm not sure yet…I was hopeful that he would soon inform me," Marie replied pleasantly. Vic just frowned, and drew the door into the other room closed behind him with a soft click. "Perhaps we might start by knowing your name?"_

_"I already know his name, and he mine," Vic cut in, striding forwards. "Greetings Dragmire – and what brings you out of your sorcery in the catacombs?"_

_"I heard that your brother's woman had borne their first child. I wished to offer my congratulations," Ganondorf drawled, tipping his hood back, so that his young features were visible._

_"Well, I shall pass those on. Now, kindly, leave," the blond-haired man bit back icily, making as if to throw the front door open again, and to shove Dragmire out onto the street. Marie just looked from one to the other, utterly bemused._

_"Vic, what-?"_

_"Marie, go and attend to Lirae – she needs you," he barked, and though her face was sour at being commanded about, Marie did as she was told. As soon as the door had closed again behind her, the two men glared at one another with venom. "The woman and the child have done nothing to you. Just go, before I'm forced to do something I'd rather not."_

_"You dare to presume you can beat me?" Ganondorf scoffed._

_"Well, if memory serves, I'm able to beat you quite easily, old friend," the last word was spat out like something that tasted disgusting in Vic's mouth. Dragmire just smirked._

_"I've advanced quite a way since then. I thought you ought to be the first to see, considering the humiliations you insisted on putting me through."_

_"It's what you get for being an arrogant, cocky little bastar-" he was cut off mid-tirade when Ganondorf lazily waved a hand. Vic placed both hands to his own throat and retched, seemingly unable to draw breath. Desperately, he hitched inwards, trying to inhale, but was unable to. Sternly, he managed a frown at Dragmire, before his eyes began to roll, and he collapsed onto the floor. The Gerudo just shook his head, and stepped over Vic, now writhing on the ground, and clawing at the skirting board, searching for help that wasn't coming._

_Ganondorf pushed the door open, and I heard the cooing of a baby, and the laughter of the dark-haired woman. And then there was no more…_

* * *

"Shadow. Shadow! It's time to get up!" The King of Red Lions called, and I rolled over, managing to hit my head rather hard on the side of the boat. 

"Ow." 

"Oh my – are you all right?" 

"In a manner of speaking," I grumbled, finding myself still shaking back in the real world, and knowing that it was nothing to do with cold. 

"You're not unwell, are you?" he asked, and I almost laughed at the notion – almost. :I feel like being sick, but not because I'm unwell: I thought darkly, shuddering as I again saw the blond haired man clawing at the air, clutching his throat, turning blue in the effort to draw breath… Before I could help myself, bile filled my mouth, and I had to quickly yank down my facemask and lean over the side of the boat in order to empty my stomach of what little had been in it. Red just tutted, and then offered a sympathetic, "Better out than in." 

When I was done, I leant on the side, feeling drained. I left my facemask down, allowing the cool breeze to get rid of the warm clammy feeling on my face. Red waited a few minutes for me to compose myself (perhaps fearing that I'd be sick again if startled.) Then, finally, when it seemed he'd decided nothing worse could come, he talked once more. "It's evening, so I though we might try and speak to Marie." As soon as he mentioned her name, I blanched again, and he immediately picked up on this. "Shadow? What is it?" 

I just shook my head, and looked stubbornly away from him, my stomach churning as I thought about what Dragmire had done. :He…he just killed him…just like that… How could anyone get that powerful? How is it even possible: 

/Oh, quite easily, my dear Sheikah/ a dark, velveteen voice entered my mind, and I started. Red's voice dulled away into nothing. /Ever since I felt you watching me child, I've been most interested in your escapades… You remind me much of a girl long ago, who could see things she probably shouldn't have./ 

:Dragmire: I scowled as I thought the name, and the dark voice just chuckled. 

/Quick, aren't we/ 

:Get out of my head: I commanded, finding nothing more than hatred for him. I knew it was irrational, that he was more powerful than me, that I should fear him, and should not allow my emotions to overrule me. But…having seen what I'd just seen… 

/Yes, I thought that particular vision might get you riled./ 

:What: I froze, registering that Red had stopped talking to me. 

/Custom made vision, don't you know? A rather charming little tale…if only I'd gotten there sooner, I would have realised that the woman no longer had what I sought. If only I'd searched his body…but I was so sure she would have it./ He trailed off, and I wondered if he'd forgotten my presence. /Oh no Sheikah, I haven't forgotten you…not in the least./ 

:What do you want: I demanded to know, feeling my fingers tensing around the lip of the keel rails. 

/Want? And why would I be wanting for anything/ 

:Why else would you be contacting me: 

/A good question./ He paused, as though to think about it. /I don't want anything/ he said after a few seconds. /But I'm sure you'd like to get that Tri-Force piece…just think of the Wisdom you could have were it yours./ A flood of desire that was not my own flooded me, and I smiled indulgently at the idea of holding the small golden triangle in my hand, and knowing all that there was to know. The glory of holding even greater wisdom in my hands than the eldest member of my tribe. Of having access to every possible facet of an argument that I would need, and instinctively knowing how to deal with it. 

:To be the perfect Sheikah… Which I would be if I held it…: I grinned at this thought, but then snapped away, horrified at myself. :NO! It's not mine to take! I'm Sheikah…we're not meant for the Goddesses' powers: 

/NO/ he bellowed, and then calmed himself. /No, my dear…the wisdom is already there within you. All you need to unlock it is the Tri-Force piece. Then, you could be as great as the lady Impa, or the lord Sheik! Think how proud your mother would be…/ An image of my mother sinking down onto her knees and prostrating on the ground before me, an awed look on her face, fluttered across my vision. 

:That would certainly show all those who doubted my worth as a warrior: I thought, individually cursing everyone who had ever doubted my abilities – Delia and Firen included. :Firen…: I frowned when I remember our first meeting, where he had immediately targeted me as someone to bully. :Yet…after I showed him my skills, he was my friend: I struggled against Ganondorf's dark thoughts. 

/Only because he knew that, should he get into a fight, you would be there to cover his back. The same with your dear friend Delia…both using you for their own ends. They are no real friends! I am…I could be a very dear friend to you/ his voice had dropped to a low purr, and a girlish giggle rose in my throat. /We could become…close./ His words were heavily laced with implications, and I could feel my cheeks burn with a blush. 

:B-but… I cannot: I protested weakly; Rufus' face swam into my mind, determined and blood stained. 

/Would it not be better than this farce? I ask for nothing other than friendship…and in return, you gain Wisdom itself./ The offer sounded so tantalising, and his voice so kind. I smiled again, fingers unclenching from the railings, and heard him laugh softly, gently. /The pirate is the one who stands in the way of you and the piece. If you are able to remove her, then you shall find it, and it will be yours. And then…we may be friends./ 

:Why can we not be friends now: I asked. 

/I would wish that you receive my gift before you consider me a friend…consider it a…token of my affections./ This made me blush even more furiously than before. I became slightly more aware of the world around me, and studied my flushed face in the reflection in the water that sped by us. /One so handsome in face deserves such affections/ he said, rather flirtatiously. I gaped at this, which made my reflection look rather gormless. 

Suddenly, we crested a large wave, and I caught sight of a fin rising out of the water before us. :W-what: Cold water sprayed on my face, and I collapsed backwards into the boat as the Gyorg rammed into us. 

/No…shh, shh, listen to me now/ he implored. But, the spell had been broken. Shaking my head, I cleared the foggy haze from my mind, and cursed aloud at my own stupidity. /NO! You will listen, wench/ His voice was no longer soft, but harsh and jarring, and I bought both hands up to either side of my head, squeezing my eyes tight shut. 

:Get. Out. Of. My. Head.: I commanded, eyes so tightly shut that stars were exploding in my vision. 

/Wench. You cannot combat me for long/ And with that, he was gone. Red's panicked voice suddenly became audible, and, almost lazily, I took my whip from my waist, flicked it out so that it wrapped around the monster's fin, and sent a bolt of magic through the leather. It screeched, and disappeared. Then, feeling tired, I lay back down, despite the protestations of Red, and tried to get back to sleep. 

The sight of blood on the deck in front of me stopped me. I blinked at it stupidly, wondering where it had come from. Hesitantly, I reached out my right hand to poke at it (for some reason that seemed sensible to me at the time). And that's when I saw it. On the upwards facing back of my hand, deep cuts crossed through the heavy leather of the gauntlet. Blood welled out from these, and three patches of bare skin presented themselves. Each was in the shape of an equilateral triangle, radiating out from a central triangle of the same proportions. The outline of each triangle was marked with a thin cut, from which blood was weeping.

Three triangles of leather fluttered past the small pool of blood, and finally, Red managed to cajole me into answering him. "Yes?" I snapped. "What is it?" He seemed taken aback, and it took a few seconds for him to get over his shock. 

"Uh… We need to speak to Marie… I was wondering whether you could see if she was out on deck or not." I whipped my head around, and glared through the dark night time air. 

"She's below deck," I informed him, less snappishly this time. He took this more calm speech to mean that he could safely ask me, 

"What's wrong? You seem shaken." I avoided his gaze, and just supplied him with, 

"Visions…unpleasant ones…" 

"I see…" it was plain that he didn't accept this answer, but he seemed to worried about contacting Marie to push the matter any further than that. For which I was very glad – Dragmire's presence in my mind had shaken me, as had my susceptibility to his machinations. It scared me just how easily he'd been able to bend me to his will…and it also terrified me how well he seemed to know me… I'd always wished to be as wise as the great Sheikah of legend…often I'd marvelled at the tales of the Tri-Force. 

And he had offered it all to me, in exchange for mere friendship. :It seems like a great opportunity, with such a negligent price…: 

:It's a trick! Don't be fooled: I quickly told myself, focusing on the green stone in my palm, through which Red was trying to summon Marie. I couldn't remember getting it out, so preoccupied was I with my thoughts, and I didn't listen too hard when Marie's sleepy voice replied. She and Red discussed many things, and I was even cajoled into answering a few questions myself. Though, were you to ask me afterwards what it was I said, I truly couldn't tell you…

* * *

The night passed by in an indeterminate blur, punctuated by light banter with Red and further talks with Marie via the green stone. Nothing seemed important enough for me to take too much notice of; luckily, Red left me alone. Perhaps he thought I was in a bad mood or some such. He just didn't bother me, instead keeping our course when I slept and not addressing me unless necessary when I was awake. 

I stayed awake for almost the whole night, turning over Dragmire's proposal in my head. I _knew_ it was wrong and I_ knew_ in my heart of hearts that I would never go through with such a thing. But that didn't stop it from being tempting… When he didn't try to contact me again, I decided that he must have lost his nerve. With this thought in mind, I decided it would be safe to have another proper sleep, as opposed to merely dozing. The last sleep had left me even more tired than before I'd gone to sleep, so I hoped that another one would bring me back to full strength. 

With a lazy yawn, I spread myself across the deck, being careful to stay as far away from the patch of blood as possible. As with earlier, as soon as my head touched the pack I was using as a pillow, I was out like a light… 

_And right back on again in a vision._

_Looking around, I could see that I was below deck on Flo. Judging by the light streaming in from the open cabin door, it was mid-morning. Footsteps pattered down the steps, and a widely smiling Rufus hurried inside, clutching an overlarge trench coat around himself. :That's Marie's: I noted, as he shed it onto a chair. This revealed that he was clad only in white tights, and I raised an eyebrow in surprise at the slightly protruding stomach on the boy. :He still carries a child's frame…he should be at home…:_

_He huffed, and grabbed his clothes, which were stiff from salt. Whilst wriggling around to try and get his tunic on straight, he knocked Marie's coat onto the floor, and I saw something shiny tinkle out of one of the pockets. The Hylian saw it as well, and bent down to pick it up. Curiously (and knowing that he couldn't see me anyway), I walked over and looked over his shoulder to see what it was he held._

_A sharp intake of breath behind me startled me. I looked around, expecting Marie to come storming down the steps to reclaim the triangular gold piece. Yet, what I saw was most definitely not Marie. I reached around to get my weapons, and closed my hand over the handle of my whip. However, it dissolved beneath my grasp! I looked down, and rather than my salt-stained bodysuit and clumsily tied bandages, a floating skirt of pure white came into view._

_Startled, I looked up, an exclamation ready on my lips to yell at the man who shouldn't have been there… But he was gone… :What's going on: I asked hopelessly. Looking around, I found myself to be in a rather spectacular garden, filled with roses of white, purple and red. Their fragrances were heavy, and the air warm against the bare skin on my arms. Despite this, I shivered, and wrapped my arms around me, willing myself to wake up._

_"Pretty, aren't they?" a voice erupted from the heavy silence. I started, but was unable to turn around when a hand rested all-too-comfortably on my shoulder. "Sheikah colours of course, just for you my love." :My love: The hand trailed down my arm to grab onto my right hand, and then abruptly spun me around. I found myself crushed against the wide torso of a certain, tall, dark-skinned, red-haired Gerudo man. Now out of my paralytic state, I pushed hard against his chest with my hands, and managed to break free of the hold he had around my waist._

_"What is it pet? Have I done something to offend you? I thought you'd like it…" he gestured limply to the perfect garden about us. "But, if you want to change it for the wedding, then, I suppose that's alrigh-"_

_"W-wedding?" I choked, taking a few more steps back as he took a few more forward._

_"Why of course love! People generally have to have a wedding to get married," he smiled, and extended a hand. Music began to drift through the air, and a band of string players marched through the ivy arbour that led into the garden. They lined up against the wall, still playing; it sounded like a slow waltz. "Want to dance?" I backed up a couple more paces, and he frowned good-naturedly._

_"I-I… This isn't real," I muttered to myself, looking down at my left hand, which bore a silver ring. Then I looked to my right hand, and saw that the Tri-Force symbol was stamped across it, with the Tri-Force of Wisdom glowing brightly. I shook my head, and looked up at Dragmire, who was still smiling softly, though had dropped his hand._

_"I know it seems a bit much pet, but it is real, I assure you!" he chortled. "Now, come along, you've had your fun – let's dance and be horribly romantic and suchlike, shall we?" He reached out and his fingers closed around my left wrist._

_"No."_

_"Pardon darling?"_

_"No – get off!" I yelled, yanking my hand back. The band stopped playing, and looked at one another in shock._

_"Darling, really, this is getting beyond a-"_

_"NO! This is not real! It's a bloody vision! You told me yourself you could customise them, so why don't you stop this right now?" I stamped my foot, and immediately felt like an idiot for doing so._

_His smile turned into a sickly smirk, and he waved his hand. Suddenly, the garden fell away, and in its place unfolded an unearthly scene. A red glow bounced off of rough stone walls, rather reminiscent of Dragon Roost Cavern. Behind Dragmire was a large, black castle, with twisted turrets and spike laden towers. Bodies in various states of decay littered the ground, which was red with blood as well as fire-light._

_"If only you'd played along…just think what you could have if you would only agree to be my friend."_

_"I'd never wish to associate with the likes of you," I spat, glad to find that I now had my weapons once more._

_"In that case, I suppose you'd better see what will happen if you refuse."_

_"Wha-?" But the scene had changed again already. With a jolt, I arrived in the Temple back on Opacus Isle. It was eerily silent, and the candles by the entrance had burnt low, so that they cast a peculiar flickering light over the place. Dragmire stood halfway down the aisle, arms spread so that his cloak obscured my vision of the other end of the Temple. With trepidation, I walked forwards, scowling at the tall man. My whip was in my hands, and I rose it warningly. He just smiled ingratiatingly, and dropped his arms, bowing me forwards._

_I stopped. Stared. Blanched. Gagged. Screamed._

_There, on top of the altar (which usually held a garland of flowers, and the glass box in which the Ocarina of Time is kept) lay various things. :Not things…people…: I corrected, though they had been so mutilated that it almost impossible to tell. Save for one thing… Clothes… Sheikah clothes were on the bodies, family crests telling me who they were. And immediately my eyes were drawn to three bodies collapsed before the altar, blood having pooled around them and not yet set._

_That was not the end of it. A struggling gasp sounded to my right, the breath gurgling in the person's throat. "Shadow?" they rasped and I turned immediately. Green clothes so covered in blood they may as well have started off red…a small, scruffy hat lying a few feet away. Impaled on the very sword he used to fight with. "Please…help me…"_

_Dragmire's hand once more found my shoulder as tears started in my eyes, and I whirled around, forgetting my whip as I lashed out at him. He caught both my arms, and smiled sardonically down at me as I struggled in his grip._

_"I'd suggest you reconsider Sheikah… For, your mother, father and even that tiny scrap of a brother, make the most excellent decorations for this place." I scowled at him, and kicked him in the shin. He seemed surprised, and let me go, reaching down to clutch the injured limb. I started towards the altar, but was quickly grabbed and thrown away from it. "NO! You will join me, even if I have to force you!"_

_He pointed both hands at me, palms facing towards me, and smirked. Balls of light appeared above each palm…though, I'm not sure if 'light' was the right word. For, they were black…more…'anti-light' than 'light'. Whatever magic it was, he directed it at me. I tried to scramble backwards, reaching out for a pew to hide behind. But, I wasn't fast enough. As the magic connected with me, I screamed again._

I sat bolt-upright, and quickly looked around, trying to catch sight of Rufus. I took in deep breaths of air to try and steady myself, and prevent myself from being sick once again. :Please, please, it was just a vision. I swear, if you've hurt him:- 

/I'll not do anything so long as you co-operate, pet./ 

:I'm not your pet.: 

/You are now…/ A strange hazy feeling descended on my mind. When I finally caught sight of Rufus sitting on top a boulder some way away, I just stared at him. I didn't breathe or blink, or so much as move. Instead, I just stared, so glad to find that he was still alive. /It's nice to see such a caring side to a Sheikah/ Dragmire commented dryly. I found myself unable to even think an insult back at him. Still staring at the Hylian, I quickly got out of Red and hurried up the hill, suddenly wondering if this mightn't be another trick. 

:After all, he's already made visions within visions…whose to say this isn't another: 

/Who indeed/ 

:Leave me be: 

/I don't believe you really have a say in whether or not I 'leave you be', girl./ His thoughts were easily identifiable, even though he didn't continue to put them into words, and I felt terrified of what could happen with him in control. For, I realised, that was what was happening. That was why my motions seemed unreal, my world hazy…I was no longer in control. 

Determinedly, and feeling like I was swimming against a strong current, I managed to gain control of my vocal chords before Dragmire could. He growled at me in my head, but I ignored him. "Rufus," I whispered, too busy fighting against the Gerudo to worry about my accent, which was getting stronger, "I'd suggest that you go and see the Great Deku Tree at once. I have other things that need to be attended to." /NO, wench, shut up, shut up/ "Should you need to contact me, call Red, and he'll pass on any messages to me." I swallowed strongly, and forced myself to turn around, back towards the boat, and away from the unknowing Hylian. 

"Please…Shadow…" I paused and shuddered minutely as Dragmire delighted in providing me with the image of Rufus covered in blood. "What's going on?" He sounded so helpless… /Useless Hylian…you know they're all bumbling imbeciles. Just ignore him! Go after that pirate and get the piece/ 

:NO.: "It's nothing of great concern to you. Do not…don't worry about it," I ended, feeling deflated, but glad that Dragmire's intentions towards the boy were not truly violent… :For the moment at least anyway: I scowled at him. He just chuckled. "Go and see the Great Deku Tree; I will be back in time to help you when you need me to… Or at least, I'll try to be," I ended. Then, unable to control myself, I started off down to the bay once more. :I need to stay with the lad – I can't abandon him: 

/But you'd see him killed instead/ the Gerudo man wheedled. I slumped a little, but was bought back up when Rufus spoke again. 

"Please, don't go!" 

"Why?" Dramire demanded through my lips, but I did at least manage to make it sound like a sincere question. 

"I…I don't want to be alone…" I completely snapped out of Dragmire's grip for a few seconds, empathy coursing through me as I looked at Rufus staring forlornly at the ground. I brushed a hand across his shoulder, but whilst I was distracted with this, the Gerudo gained control of my words again. 

"You won't be – you have Red for company, do you not?" His face said it all – I forced a sigh in order to give myself time to gain control, and said, "I suppose that isn't exactly the comfort you were hoping for, is it?" :Poor lad…: My lapse in concentration cost me dearly, because Dragmire decided to ingratiate me with Rufus… :Just in order to make sure you can kill him when the time's right: 

/I never said anything about killing, did I? Not now that you're co-operating so nicely./ 

:Bastard.: 

/Now, now, it's not wise to say such things to a man of my power./ I tuned back into the conversation, to find that we were discussing visions. 

"Stopping what?" he asked. 

"Deaths. Many, many deaths. Ruination. Torment," Dragmire answered for me, and I took up the buck for a short while. "In the vision…I…it was…horrible." I wrapped my arms around myself, and looked inward to try and fight Dragmire off…yet, he was gaining hold! 

When Rufus touched my hand, we both jumped, our mental fight interrupted as his round young face stared up at me with worry. I just nodded to him, and took the hand he had extended. "Thank you." 

"That's all right. Is there – anything I can do – to help I mean?" 

:Yes, there is! You can help me get this mad-man out of my mind! Please, tell Red, he'll know what to do: I thought desperately, as Dragmire supplied a rather less helpful, "I think the best thing you can do is carry on…I must go and retrieve something most important." :NO! Rufus, please, don't listen, it's a lie: 

/Alas, dear Sheikah, there aren't many Hylians who can read minds these days, are there/ the Gerudo jibed. His mockery continued in this strain, until I caught a glimpse of gold in the sunshine, and we both fell silent. Then, in unison (though in my polite wording), we exclaimed, "What the- where did you get that!" The answer didn't really seem to matter – something to do with Marie. I just stared fixedly at the small triangular object, and then quickly glanced at the back of my right hand. 

Then a few moments later, I had extended my hand, and the Hylian was dropping the Tri-Force shard into my palm. Dragmire and I both studied it, he comparing it to the symbol on the Ocarina of Time, I realising that it must have been split, for it didn't look big enough. /Now to seal this part of the quest, eh/ 

:Wha-: 

"You've just saved me an awful lot of bother and hardship by getting this." I was startled, and even a little sickened by the girlish tone Dragmire chose to employ. "Of course, we'll need to find the rest, but we're a step up on Dragmire now…" He chuckled to me as he said that, and on noticing the look of confusement on Rufus' face, decided to indulge the lad. "I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense, am I?" Then, he explained, whilst I tried to get him to shut up. 

:You're telling him too much – he doesn't need to know this! Stop it! Let me free to do my own talking: 

/But then you'd say something I know I'd regret/ he answered brightly. Then, as an afterthought, he said/You're beginning to annoy me. Be a good girl and shut up for a while, my dear./ 

:I'll do nothing of the sort: I thought indignantly, now managing to gain enough control to raise myself from my perch, and go and speak to Red. I bent down, intent on telling him what was going on. But, just then, a blinding white stab of pain ripped through me. Whilst my body didn't seem injured, there was still immense pain, and I was aware of Dragmire spinning some nonsensical yarn of excuses to Red, before becoming completely unaware at all…

* * *

After that, I only experienced a few flashes of control. The Gerudo was delighted with his conquest, and constantly crowed over /your feeble attempts to defeat me./ I just continued to struggle, rarely reaching anything above awareness, and even that was a rarity. 

When the talk with Red was over, I walked quickly, and managed to clench my fists as I attempted to override Dragmire's control. He hit me with another reprimanding bolt of pain, and silently whimpering, I backed down. 

The next time I became aware, Rufus was proclaiming, "I hope it isn't too far; I'm starved." I immediately reached down to my pack, remembering that I had food in there. /No – bad./ Another stab of pain was administered. I fell back into my stupor, glad that he was at least allowing me to watch what was going on. Hearing something rustle in the trees to the left of us, I turned at the same time as Dragmire, and felt an odd sort of annoyance that I'd copied his movements. /Ah, to have eyesight like a Sheikah/ he sighed, scanning the forest for signs of life. 

Immediately, I saw evidence of monsters between the trees – I couldn't see the creatures themselves, but what else could have made such a line of destruction through the undergrowth/Yes, clumsy little beasts aren't they/ He snapped my head back to look ahead of us, just as Rufus asked, 

"Is that it?" I caught sight of a huge clearing ahead of us, with the sunlight beaming down over the open ground. In the centre of the clearing was a large, and decidedly old looking tree, which my aggressor named before I had the chance. 

/The Great Deku Tree. Oh, and would you look at that, some monsters trying to set it alight. How delightful./ I could feel the blood drain from my face as he forced me to slow down, dropping behind Rufus. "I think so, yes," he had me answer, and then, when the Hylian waited for me to catch up with him, added, "go ahead. I need to sort out my boots." He nodded and did just that, following my orders to a tee. My eyes strayed to the many monsters crawling all over the idyllic scene, and I hoped ardently that the boy would notice them before he could some to any real harm. /How sweet./ 

:Shut up: I bit back, straightening up from the ground and trying to move forwards to the clearing. It felt as though leaden weights had been attached to my legs, and I strained against Dragmire's will. When the smell of burning reached my nostrils, panic bubbled up inside of me, and, with a great wrench, I managed to make it to the natural archway of tree branches that led into the clearing. Then, however, he was able to regain his hold, and stopped me in my tracks. 

/Now, you're beginning to annoy me Sheikah…just stay still and let me watch the fun like a good girl./ I felt incensed at being referred to as girl, which only made him chuckle derisively. /Well, if you will behave like a petulant child./ 

:Is it really surprising, considering the situation: I snapped darkly, resulting in more laughter. Rufus once more cut across our battle of wills, begging for help. My hands twitched, reaching out for my whip, and a bolt of pain was administered. 

"Come on, we have to stop them!" The Hylian had his sword and shield already out, and looked ready to battle hard. I could feel the Gerudo man's scornful appraisal of the boy, and felt it clash with my own sense of pride about him. 

:He may not be the best of fighters, but at least he has a viable reason for which to fight.: 

/And who is it that decides which reasons are viable, and which are not, hmm/ "We?" I registered that I sounded surprised. "No Rufus…this is something you must do alone." 

:What by the Gods do you think you're doing? Get out of my mind damn it, I can't leave him to fight alone: 

/If he can't fight a few monsters alone, he has little chance against me…/ I was silent after that, because my gut feeling told me that he was right. /See…and here you were assuming I was just a pretty face./ I flushed guiltily knowing that he had stumbled upon that thought, and cursed him loudly. /Such language! Really now/ Another bolt of pain. Again, back in the real world, only a couple of seconds had passed during this internal exchange, and Rufus was looking up at me gob smacked. 

"What – but you – you're supposed to-" 

/Ah, he's so refreshingly coherent./ "I'd hurry up if I were you, or else the lower branches will catch, and then the Great Deku Tree will be doomed. Well, what are you waiting for?" he – I – we said airily. /Confused my dear/ 

:A little: I admitted, before realising I had done so. When I did realise, I managed to shake my head, and looked over at the pile of leaves and kindling that rested at the base of the Great Deku Tree. Alas, the Gerudo man had spoken the truth – the tree would indeed catch soon, if something wasn't done. :Damn the consequences: I bellowed to him, and wrenched myself away from the rough bark of the tree upon which I was leaning, my head near exploding with pain as soon as I dared to violate his control. :I've had worse…worse…: I reminded myself, now clutching my head with one hand, and sweeping monsters out of the way with my whip in the other. 

Looking over at Rufus, I saw that he seemed to be coping well enough, so felt a little less guilty about my own difficulties at overcoming Dragmire. He was starting to inflict so much pain that I could swear wounds had to be appearing on the surface of my skin…but…when I looked down, there was nothing there. /You're going to regret this…you could stop now, and I might forgive you…/ 

:And you think that's an incentive: I snorted aloud, which caught the attention of the group of monsters (mainly bokoblins) gathered around the smouldering leaf pile. :If you want to carry on seeing through my eyes, you might want to keep me alive: I growled, as he continued to prevent me from using my weapons properly. With an aggravated sigh, he backed off just enough to allow me to prevent myself from getting killed. But, when I then moved to the slowly growing fire in order to put it out, he returned to torturing me. 

When the last tiny flames licked out, I smirked, before collapsing onto the ground, water soaking my legs. :Damn it: spots of blood dripped into the water, and I pulled my cowl down to discover that my nose was bleeding. Looking around, I saw that Rufus was beginning to get hemmed in, and crawled forwards, intending to help. Dragmire just sniggered, and administered another of his wonderful bursts of agony – the flow of blood pouring from my nose increased into a veritable torrent, and I paused to try and stem the flow. :Ow.: 

/Well, I did warn you/ he chirped matter-of-factly, allowing me to turn my head when Rufus desperately yelled. I saw him fall to the floor in order to evade an attack that would have killed him, and then be descended upon by a band of hideous little monsters. /Looks like he's having fun./ 

:You're sick: I thought disgustedly, as the small creatures jabbed the fallen Hylian with sticks. Two bokoblins loomed over him, and, after another quick battle with Dragmire, I managed to gain enough control to throw two daggers in quick succession in order to fell the beasts threatening to kill the charge I'd sworn to protect. I used another dagger on one of the little goblin things, and then the pain went beyond more nosebleeds and stars before the eyes. 

/For the love of the Gods, you Sheikah are all so damned stubborn/ It felt as though I was being jabbed all over with tiny sticks, just as Rufus had been only seconds before. My head felt about ready to fall off, and my breathing came in short, sharp breaths, which made my ribcage ache and my throat burn. /Stop. Trying. To. Fight. Me. You cannot win./ 

:Want to bet on that: I managed, before once again losing all control. Rufus walked over to the Deku Tree, limping gingerly on his injured leg. He happened upon a lily pad, and, after testing that it would hold his weight, climbed upon it. I turned away after that, having it in my head to go and find something that could burn. :But…I don't want to…: 

/What you want is irrelevant, pet./ We finally happened on a dry branch that one of the bokoblins I'd fought had dropped. Dragmire then looked around for something to light it with, before exclaiming delightedly/OH! Magic, eh? I thought that had died out a long time ago on the Great Sea… Fantastic… What a good pet you make./ I could do nothing other than watch as he created sparks above my right hand, which managed to set the brittle branch alight. 

Back in the centre of the clearing, I heard the Great Deku Tree boom in Old Hylian. "The clothes you wear…could you be the legendary hero? Has the King at last found the Hero of Time? …what is the matter lad? Do you not understand the ancient Hylian tongue?" We turned to look back at where Rufus sat, looking perplexed. The tree changed into modern, common speech, and apologised, "I must apologise. I was in error…I saw your clothing and suddenly I longed for an age gone by. Such longing caused the ancient tongue to pass my lips." 

/And it allowed for foolish notions to cross your mind, ancient one./ The venom in Dragmire's voice surprised me. /He protected that bloody child all those years ago…hid him from me… If he had not, I would not be here right now… Though I suppose you, my pet, make an interesting consolation prize./ He flashed a few images through my head that would have made a sailor blush… 

"I'm the guardian spirit of this, the Forest Haven, the Great Deku Tree…" 

/You don't say./ I managed to hush him, so keen was I to listen in to the conversation. /Listen all you want…we shall get rid of him soon…and get the Pearl./ I looked at the torch held in my hands, and realised there was a dagger in the other. /Exactly./ 

"The – the King of Red Lions sent me," Rufus stated boldly. "He says that you have a Great Power that we need…?" 

"Ah… So it is true… Ganondorf has indeed returned…" 

/Like you wouldn't believe/ the Gerudo snarled, making me raise the torch aloft, and start advancing whilst the Tree and Hylian still talked. 

"No wonder such despicable creatures have been roaming this land recently… In that case, we must make haste!" 

"Indeed we must!" Dragmire thought and said at the same time. Rufus looked around, and his azure eyes widened at the sight of me with torch and weapon in hand. I longed to cast them both aside, pain be damned, but I couldn't even do that anymore, the Gerudo's control over me was becoming so complete. "Great Deku Tree, my regards, but we cannot afford to waste much time. Hand us the Pearl, and we will be on our way." 

The Tree frowned, and asked, "And who are you, young Sheikah, to order me around so?" Dragmire, seeming to remember the Ocarina from earlier, took it out and clutched it in the hand that had held the dagger. The Great Deku Tree confirmed his suspicions about the instrument, "The descendant of the Shadow sage?" 

/I knew it/ 

"By Din…" 

"Come along sir, we haven't the time to tarry on your memories of a sunken land," my Hylian charge sent me a dark warning look, but Dragmire pointedly ignored it, making a lude gesture at the boy. 

"I cannot – not yet." The Tree carried on, but Dragmire covered his speech with a stream of curses and swearwords of annoyance. 

"I'm not feeling in the mood to wait around for you, old one." /Fool…/ I couldn't believe he was daring to speak to such an obviously powerful being like that… And I was especially worried, because he was using my voice to do it. /Well, I wouldn't went to get myself hurt, would I/ 

"No Sheikeh would ever have spoken to me as such back in the-" 

"Well, we're not in the good old days of Hyrule anymore, are we?" /More's the pity – I do rather miss a fortress full of women…/ "A lot of things have changed around here, and the balance of power has long been awaiting change!" He swung the torch dangerously close to the pile of leaves I had so recently put out, laughing with abandon. "The Pearl, if you please."

"Never – not to you, Dragmire!" There was another explosion of pain, but this time it did not come from the Gerudo man. I felt myself hit hard in the chest, and then sent flying backwards onto the springy moss on the bank behind. Through squinted eyes, I saw Rufus make to assist me, but the Tree warned him off. 

/Fucking bastard – I'll kill him/ He tried to force me to stand, but it felt as though something had broken. Eyes rolling back into my head, I collapsed. /Useless pet – move./ He tried to goad me into movement with threats to my family, Rufus, Marie and everyone I'd ever so much as met. Then he cursed me with all the words he could find, before a blanket of shimmering fairies descended on me, and I fainted completely…

* * *

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I opened my eyes blearily, registering a blissful silence in my mind. "Want sleep," I decided, the pain from earlier making me feel exhausted. However, the person who had tapped me, tapped me on the shoulder again, and with a groan, I opened my eyes. A pair of concerned blue eyes swam into focus, set in a face covered in dirt. "Rufus? What…what am I doing lying on the floor?" :Dragmire was trying to burn down the Tree, and then…and what then: 

It suddenly hit me, and I reached out to grab the hand he'd used to nudge my shoulder with. "Rufus! Oh my Gods, I'm so sorry! I – I didn't mean to – he just took control, and-" I gabbled, guilt flooding me and throwing the idea of keeping up appearances out of the window. The Great Deku Tree cut across my hysterics, however, for which, in hindsight, I was glad. I sounded like an idiot… 

"Explain it later, young Sheikah. There are other things that must be discussed." Wincing, I propped myself up on one elbow, and tried to ignore the pain in my ribs as the Tree began to speak once more.

* * *

_Oh, just thought I ought to mention that this chapter confuses me mightily. But I did like the whole garden, dress, fake marriage idea. :Sniggers: it's just so quintessentially evil to try and confuse people! Also, I know I kept using Dragmire rather than Ganondorf throughout…I just think Dragmire sounds a lot harsher than Ganondorf – plus, by using his surname, it sort of detaches him a little, if you see what I mean:Strokes the Dragmire, who looks scared.: Yup, we all know I'm a sucker for bad boys._

_Soda_

_PS: Nearly 11000 words…_


	17. Together: Understanding One Another

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_So, in the last chapter, I not only succeeded in confounding myself, but in confusing all of my characters as well. :Rolls eyes at her own stupidity.: Anyway, in the last chapter, Ganondorf Dragmire managed to overcome Shadow and control her, only allowing her short bursts of freedom in order to defend herself. The climax was when he tried to make her threaten the Great Deku Tree with fire, in order to gain the Pearl from him. However, the Deku Tree was able to see what was going on, and his fairies managed to rid Shadow of Dragmire's hold. Now, to see exactly what is so important that Shadow's explanation must wait…_

_Oh, and I'm going to be combining their points of view for a while, since they're travelling together now…doesn't seem worth going over the same stuff twice really…_

_Stuff in : single colons : are thoughts for Rufus and Shadow (because the site is continuing to remove useful punctuation marks.) Visions or dreams in italics. Mostly self-explanatory really…_

* * *

**_Together: Understanding One Another_**

I saw Shadow prop herself up on her elbow in order to listen to what the Great Deku Tree had to say. I still felt a little afraid of her, worried that she might spring up any moment and attack either me, or the ancient speaker once more. :What happened to her: I wondered, noticing spots of blood on the otherwise immaculate facemask that wrapped around the bottom half of her head. She suddenly looked over, and caught my eye – her eyes were bright, and she nodded slightly to me. It was quite obvious what she meant; 'sorry'. I accepted the silent apology by nodding back, smiling a little. I'd find out exactly what she was sorry for later…

"Young Rufus," the Great Deku Tree began, voice now back to that lulling, melodious lilt, as opposed to the harsh tones he had used whilst the fairies did…uh…whatever they did. :I don't think I've ever been quite so confused before in my life. Why don't they ever tell you in stories just how many mysteries there are in adventures: Vaguely annoyed at this oversight in the stories and fables I had loved since childhood, I attentively looked up into the great, black eyes of the tree, waiting for him to continue.

"There are some most grave matters of which we must speak… I'm afraid that I'm unable to just give you the Great Power that you seek." He glanced quickly at Shadow, who I saw had managed to sit upright once more. "Not even the threats of Dragmire could make me relinquish it, for I do not have it with me…" Shadow shuffled a little, and then timidly asked,

"If you do not have it, ancient one, then where is it?" looking over, I saw that she was leaning heavily upon her left arm, which trembled with the weight. :Maybe I should go over and offer a shoulder to lean on or something:

"I'm afraid that it is in the Forbidden Forest, along with many of my Koroks." Her arm stopped trembling at that, and she took in a great gasp.

"What are they doing there? Isn't it dangerous?" Again, I felt at a slight loss, and wondered why I hadn't deigned to study more maps of the Great Sea when I was younger. I looked back up at the tree, whose face was grave.

"It's very dangerous indeed… They were whisked away there by a fell wind a few days ago, and only a few of them returned… I fear for their safety. You see, they were flying above the Forbidden Forest with the Pearl, in order to prepare for our yearly ceremony. But now…without them, the ceremony can not go ahead, and that in itself could have dire consequences, unless they can be retrieved by the week's end." The Great Deku Tree sighed heavily, and then added in dark tones, "Those monsters were not the only monsters to invade my island I fear; I believe that the Forbidden Forest is now more overrun with dark creatures than ever."

Finally, I seemed to find my voice. "Perhaps we could help get them back to you?" I cast a glance over at Shadow, and saw that she was nodding in agreement, staring up at the tree. I felt bolder knowing that she agreed with me, and continued, "If we did help, would you give us the Great Power in return?"

"Of course I would; the King of Red Lions is an old friend of mine. Whatever he wishes is best for the Great Sea, is best for the Great Sea," he answered firmly, with a slight smile. "Though, are you sure that you are ready to go the Forest?" Again, he cast his eyes over to Shadow; she was valiantly attempting to struggle to her feet, but collapsed with a loud 'oof' back onto the soft grass. "Perhaps you should rest first, hrm?" there was a hint of laughter in his voice, and I grinned wryly, looking down at my leg, which was still weeping blood.

"Sounds like a good idea," I agreed, reaching down to gingerly put my hand over the wound. :Damn this hurts…: A shuffling sound drew my attention, and I looked around to see the mysterious indigo-clad girl crawling over to me on all fours.

"Hey," she murmured sheepishly, perhaps noticing my raised eyebrow. Having decided that I was in no immediate danger from her, (especially considering the blow she'd just received), I smiled, and patted the ground next to me.

"Have a seat?"

"That'd be delightful – thanks," she grunted as she managed to settle herself on the grass next to me.

"Are you all right?" I asked; those spots of blood were worryingly bright this close to.

"Better than I was," she answered, somewhat wryly. :I suppose that was a pretty stupid question: I reflected. "Oh!" I started at her sudden exclamation. "Your leg!" she began to reach around to get her bag, but stopped with an audible wince as something within her torso made a grating sound. She closed her eyes, and said, "I've got a few potions in my pack, if you want them."

"Sheikah, perhaps you should think of yourself first my dear," the Great Deku tree advised. "I should not have hit you so hard – I do apologise."

"You had good reason to do so," she answered softly, opening her eyes and exhaling slowly. "And I suppose you're right…" she addressed me again. "I don't suppose you could get one of the red potions out of my bag for me, could you?"

"Yeah, sure." I leant around to undo the cords of her pack, when I suddenly remembered the blue potions in my own stuff. :Well, she has saved my arse on countless occasions already…I suppose I owe her: "Urm, actually, I have some blue potion; you could have some of that."

"Blue potion?" she queried.

"Yeah…it urm…heals wounds and replenishes magic."

"Really?" she said, rather more to herself than to me. I just nodded minutely and shrugged off my own bag in order to get some of the aforementioned potion out. She took it gratefully, and then turned away from me in order to drink it. From where I sat, I was still able to see the bottle as she fumbled with it, unable to remove the stopper from the top. By her awkward movements, I guessed that the Deku Tree must have broken a few bones with his blow. After a few seconds of watching her struggle, I quietly asked,

"Are you all right with that?" She just flushed slightly and handed the bottle back to me. I smiled as kindly as I could, hoping that she would remain in this calm (and decidedly normal) state for a good while longer. I managed to get the lid of the bottle off in a few more seconds, though, being so clumsy, about half of the stuff sloshed out of the bottle and onto me!

A sudden lack of pain in my leg drew my attention, and looking down, I saw that the potion had closed up the wound. I just grinned when I noticed the surprised look on the girl's face, and handed the bottle back to her. "Have as much as you want," I told her as she took it, "looks like that sorted everything out for me." She thanked me, and turned away again in order to drink the potion. :I guess she must be shy or something.: I decided, catching a short glance of her face in profile, before she gulped down some of the potion, and yanked the mask back over her face. By the small sigh she made, I guessed that the stuff had done its job.

I reached down and ran a hand along my leg, biting my lip to keep in a laugh as I wondered what Grandma would think. :I've ruined these tights – they're full of holes… Poor Grandma would be outraged: The thoughts of home were comforting, and I lost myself in them whilst waiting for the Sheikah to finish with the potion. When she had, she turned around and gave the bottle back to me. Judging by the part of her face I could see, she was smiling. "Better?" I queried, quickly putting the container back into my pack.

"Much – thanks again," she answered, before suddenly slouching and casting a quick glance at the Great Deku Tree. I followed her gaze, and saw that the large black eyes and the vine of a mouth weren't moving any longer. :I suppose he's gone to sleep, or something like that…: She inhaled deeply, and then let the air out slowly, before looking back at me. "I suppose…I suppose I should really explain-"

"You don't have to if you don't want to!" I gabbled, flushing slightly when I realised that hadn't really come out right. Yes, I wanted to know what by the Gods was going on, but I didn't want her to feel as though she had to tell me. :I mean, I may not know her very well, but I wouldn't mind having a friend along on this adventure thing… But, if she feels like she's being forced into telling me things, she mightn't like me, and- gah: Again, I felt baffled by what was going on, and gave up trying to figure it out. "Shadow?" the girl had gone quiet, and I wondered if I'd offended her.

When she looked up, her red eyes were penitent and guilt-ridden, and I felt the words I had intended to say, completely leave my head. "Urm…" I flushed again, and looked down at the bright green grass of the bank we sat on, feeling like an idiot. She didn't seem to take much notice of this however, and just shuffled slightly in her seat, before continuing,

"Rufus, I-" she began, and then words seemed to evade her as well. :Thank the Gods it isn't only me then: She gulped audibly. "Look, I will explain…you deserve to know what's going on, and up until now, we've kept secrets that perhaps, in hindsight, should not have been kept. So…let's say after this, we start afresh, yeah?" She twisted her hands in her lap, and waited expectantly for me to say something. I was unable to find any words, so I just ended up nodding, and making a small sound of agreement in the back of my throat. Thankfully, this seemed like enough.

She shifted once more, this time lifting her legs up from where they'd been dangling over the bank edge, and curling them up beneath herself. She turned to face me fully, and I did the same, noticing for the first time that she was quite a bit taller than me. :And older than me as well…probably thinks I'm some sort of dumb kid…: This thought was immediately quashed, however, when I thought of the way she had treated me so far (leaving out the weirdness of the current day). :Nah, it's more like we're equals. Even if I don't know as much about the Great Sea as she does…:

"Heh, I'll admit, I'm not really sure where to start," she said, reaching up with her right hand to scratch the back of her head unsurely. I stared at the hand as she dropped it back to her lap, and she followed my line of sight. "Ah, that – yes." She covered her right hand with her left, and looked up at me again. "I'll explain that in a bit, don't worry."

"OK." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and then I had an idea. I held out my left hand, and smiled tightly. "I suppose we might as well start with a proper introduction." She nodded, and reached out her left hand to catch mine – she did so slightly awkwardly, and I remembered that she was, of course, right-handed. :Oops, should have thought about that…ah well, it's a bit late now I guess: "Hello, my name's Rufus – pleased to meet you," I said, gently shaking her hand.

"The name's Shadow, and likewise," she replied pleasantly, before relinquishing the grip on my hand. "I'd just like to say again how sorry I am; our acquaintance so far hasn't exactly been perfect, has it?"

"Not as such, no… I don't mind though – I mean, you've helped me out a lot already, so…" I trailed off, and then added brightly, "And, anyway, we're starting over, right? Let's just make sure we get it right this time around!"

She nodded and laughed, "Sounds like a good idea to me! I suppose the best way to do that is to fill you in on stuff then." The girl seemed a lot more at ease now, and this made me feel more secure in the situation as well. "Well, to start off with, the reason I'm here is to help out."

"Yeah," I nodded, drawing my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them, so that I could listen more closely.

"Red came and collected me from my home island – a place called Opacus Isle, though I don't think many people have heard of it who don't live there, have they?" I shook my head; I hadn't heard of it at all. "It's not that big a place," she told me with a small wave of her hand. "Well, I met Red, and he told me that he needed my help – so, I went and told my mother I was going on an adventure, and then off I went. I didn't really know what was going on at the time, to be honest…" she paused and shrugged slightly. "Just the prospect of an adventure seemed good enough for me!"

"I know what you mean," I interrupted. "When I was younger, I always used to dream about going on adventures – I just never expected to actually end up doing so!"

"Same here!" she exclaimed, and we both smiled, having found some common ground. "Though…I'm guessing that neither of us thought our adventures would be in quite such dire times." I nodded sombrely in agreement, and picked idly at a few shoots of grass. Yet again, I thought of Aryll – how close I was to saving her, but getting distracted by the pretty girl:Idiot, idiot. Useless brother you make: "Rufus?" the Sheikah ventured, touching me on the shoulder.

"Mmm?" I stared her directly in the eye, now so angry with myself that there wasn't any room for embarrassment left. She reined herself in a little, and seemed to bite back whatever she had been intending to say.

"Urm…well… As I was saying," she said, returning to a more business-like tone. "As I was saying, Red came and collected me in order to help you during your adventures. Because, skilled as you are, you haven't really fought before have you? So, it seemed like a good idea (in Red's mind anyway) to have me along to make sure that you were OK…if you see what I mean?"

"Yeah, I think I do," I nodded. "So, you were acting more as a sort of fall-back?" I thought back to Marie's explanations only that morning, and smiled internally. :At least now I know it wasn't because Red thought I wasn't good enough; which is comforting to know:

"That pretty much sums it up, yes."

"Then what about the way you've been acting today. Who's this 'Dragmire' that he," I nodded towards the Great Deku Tree, "was talking about."

"Ah, yes. That." She sounded as though this were a topic she'd been dreading, but continued all the same. "Well, do you remember what I said this morning about visions? About how I can see things that happen in the past and the present, and sometimes even the future?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Good… Well, what I didn't tell you, is that, because I have visions, it makes it easy for others who can see visions to – urm – contact me is probably the easiest way to explain it."

"Contact you?"

"They can sort of, um, make a link, if that makes sense?" she frowned slightly, and began to twist her hands in her lap again. "Normally, people who can see visions have to be pretty close together to be able to have any effect on each other…but…if the person is really powerful-"

"Like this Dragmire person?"

"Yes, like Ganondorf Dragmire," she nodded, and it suddenly fell into place who Red, she, and the Great Deku Tree had been talking about. :So that's the fellow I'm fighting against then.: "He's really powerful, knows dark magic, and knows very well how to use his power to get what he wants. Which is why we have to fight against him," she informed me surely. "Now, because of this ability to make links, he was able to get inside my head and-"

"Get inside your head?" I frowned at this idea. "What do you mean? As in…get inside your head and know what you're thinking?"

"Not quite like that, but almost," she made a gesture with her hands. "It's like – he could see what I could, and hear, and feel what was going on. But, he also had some sort of influence – control – over me. And when I wouldn't do what he wanted, he'd use the power of his dark magic to punish me." I shuddered at this idea, and felt the urge to pat her comfortingly on the shoulder. :I can't believe it; it's just so wrong. How could anyone do that? I mean, they'd have to be so powerful, and-:

"I should have been able to combat him, but…he's a lot more powerful than I thought," she ended, looking down at the ground once more. The tips of her ears were bright red, and she rubbed the back of her neck with a soft sigh. "I just can't believe what he was trying to do; I'm glad the Great Deku Tree was able to see what was going on – even if he did break a few bones." She looked up at me through the fronds of hair that had come loose of the tie holding it back, and smiled wanly. I just chuckled a little.

"I have to admit, I'm still confused," I said, the laughter dying away. "But I'm glad that you told me what was going on anyway… You said you were going to tell me about your-"

"Oh, my hand, yeah. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what happened there either. I just woke up after a vision, and found that my hand was bleeding." She shrugged slightly. "Something to do with the Tri-Force." I remembered something all of a sudden.

"Hey, do you still have that bit I accidentally took?" I made sure to put in the accidentally, because, well, I really hadn't meant to take it:I wouldn't want her to think I'm some kind of thief:

"Oh yes, I do – urm – aha, here it is!" she took it out of a pocket that I wouldn't have believed her skin-tight clothes could conceal, and held the golden triangle aloft. "I just hope that Dragmire doesn't figure out a way to get control of me again, especially now that I have this." She paused, and stared at the triangle – her expression was unreadable. "Perhaps you should take it?" she held it out to me, but I shook my head.

"No, you should probably keep it; I always lose things," I grinned awkwardly, and she just nodded, hurriedly pocketing the triangle again. Another few moments of uncomfortable silence occurred – thankfully this time only because we'd run out of things to say, rather than because we were talking about awkward stuff. :Should I say something? Or should I wait for her to say something? Or maybe I should ask the Great Deku Tree whether we should go now… I mean, we're all healed up, so maybe that would be better than just sitting around here doing nothing.:

"Urm, do you think we should wake him up again?" Shadow asked, obviously meaning the Deku Tree. It was almost as if she had read my mind, and I stared at her blankly for a second before registering that she needed an answer.

"Oh – uh – yeah, may as well. We're all healed up and stuff, so we could go and help those carrots-"

"Koroks!" she corrected with a snigger. I just waved my hand,

"Whatever they're called. We're healthy again, so we could go and help them out, couldn't we?"

"Sounds like a good plan," she agreed. "Now – how do you suppose we wake him up?"

:Good question.:

* * *

I took the small glass bottle of blue liquid that the Hylian handed me, and carefully turned away, wary of my ribs as I did so. :I get the feeling there's a couple broken…: I thought, focusing on opening the lid of the bottle, rather than on the pain in my torso. After a few tense seconds of silence, Rufus piped up, "Are you all right with that?" I could hear humour in his voice, and flushed slightly, handing the bottle back to him. He struggled with it himself for a few seconds, and then the lid popped open, sloshing a little of the potion over his wounded leg.

Looking down, I felt my jaw drop as the wound healed up before my eyes, the skin sparkling slightly where the magical potion had touched it. He grinned, and handed the bottle back to me, "Have as much as you want – looks like that sorted everything out for me."

"Thanks," I accepted the open container, and turned away again. Hurriedly (so that he wouldn't catch sight of my face), I pulled down my mask, and gulped a couple of mouthfuls down. :That stuff's vile: I had to force myself not to spit it out, and pulled up my facemask again. Turning back to give the Hylian his potion back, I immediately noticed that the pain in my chest was gone. Not only that, but, as he had said, the blue substance had managed to replenish my waning magic reserves. I flexed my fingers, grinning slightly as I felt the power comfortably wash over me.

"Better?" he asked, hurriedly putting the bottle back into his pack. I just grinned, but, on noticing his expectant face, added,

"Much – thanks again." From the corner of my eye, I could see that the Great Deku Tree had become inanimate once more. :I guess that means I've a lot of time to explain myself…damn…: "I suppose…I suppose I should really explain-"

"You don't have to if you don't want to!" he cut across me, perhaps a little too quickly. His face was earnestly truthful, but it was obvious that he was curious. I felt grateful that he had at least attempted to make me feel a little less pressured to tell him… The knot in my stomach wasn't reduced by much though, and I frowned as I tried to figure out how to word it… :Well, Dragmire told him all about visions, so he knows how they work. Maybe…: "Shadow?" I looked up at him, to see a half attempted friendly smile on his face die away. "Urm…" he looked down at the lush grass of the clearing and flushed.

"Rufus, I… Look, I will explain." I guiltily thought of all the things that Red, Marie and I had tried to hide from this boy, and wished I could think of a way to show the lad how sorry I was… "You deserve to know what's going on, and up until now, we've kept secrets that perhaps, in hindsight should not have been kept." I twisted my hands together nervously as I carefully chose my words. He was obviously highly interested in what was going on, but I had the feeling that I should still shield him from the worst of things. :He's still a child…there are some things he mightn't understand…: "So…" I paused, unsure of what to say, and finally landed upon, "let's say after this, we start afresh, yeah?"

He didn't answer immediately and I feared that everything that had happened had angered him so much that he would wish me gone… Thankfully, he did eventually nod, making a small grunt of agreement in the back of his throat. This relieved some of the tension in the air; now that I wasn't paying so much attention to my choice of words, I realised that my legs were beginning to go numb. Carefully, I lifted my legs up and curled them underneath me, turning to face the Hylian. He copied my actions, and I noticed once more how short he was. :So young…:

I scratched the back of my head nervously, and admitted, "Heh, I'll admit, I'm not really sure where to start…" I looked around in my head for an appropriate starting point, and noticed that his blue eyes were staring fixedly at my hand. I looked at it, and the bloody Tri-Force mark leapt out at me. :Oh Gods, how do I explain that one: "Ah, that – yes… I'll explain that in a bit, don't worry," I assured him, silently hoping that he would forget my promise to explain it after I explained everything else.

"OK," he sounded pleased with my promise – I felt a small stab of guilt, but it passed quickly. :Red needs me to look after him – naturally, that means I will have to keep some things from him so he won't get himself into trouble… I'm just doing my job. Yeah, my job.: I managed to semi-convince myself with this train of thought, and turned back to wondering how to explain myself to the lad.

He stuck out his left hand and smiled tightly. :What the-: "I suppose we might as well start with a proper introduction." I smiled at his cleverly thought through attempt to alleviate the strained situation. I caught his hand with my own left one, albeit a little clumsily, considering it's not the arm I usually use. "Hello, my name's Rufus; pleased to meet you," he said, shaking my hand at the same time. I returned the hand shake, and felt a small part of my worries drift away at the friendly look on my charge's face.

"The name's Shadow, and likewise." I dropped his hand and allowed the apology that had long been pressing at the back of my mind to spill over my lips. "I'd just like to say again how sorry I am; our acquaintance so far hasn't exactly been perfect, has it?" :Truer words have never been spoken: I thought ruefully. He immediately shook his head in disagreement, and murmured,

"Not as such, no… I don't mind though – I mean, you've helped me out a lot already, so…" he trailed off. :Yeah, but that's because it's my job; not that I mind. You're a nice lad for a Hylian.: Then, he carried on with a broad grin on his face, "And, anyway, we're staring over right? Let's just make sure we get it right this time around!" :Good idea: I laughed at this optimistic view, glad that he wasn't being half as difficult as I feared he might have been. :Thank you Valoo…: I thought, realising that I wasn't berating myself for allowing all these feelings to wash over me so easily. It was quite nice just to relax…

"Sounds like a good idea to me! I suppose the best way to do that is to fill you in on stuff then! Well, to start off with…the reason I'm here is to help out."

"Yeah," Rufus nodded, and shuffled about a bit so that he could listen better. I recounted everything from when Red had come to collect me, and he made a good audience, piping up with questions and adding his own bits to the conversation. He was surprisingly easy to talk to :though he does speak very fast…: At times it was a struggle to keep up with what he was saying, what with his thick Hylian accent and quick speech. :I'm glad I took all those extra lessons in Hylian now:

It was only when I came to explaining Dragmire that I found myself floundering for words once more. "Then what about the way you've been acting today?" he asked, then shrewdly tagging on, "Who's this 'Dragmire' that he was talking about?" the Hylian nodded towards the Great Deku Tree to indicate who 'he' was. I chewed my lip beneath my cowl, and stalled for time whilst I thought about how to explain things.

"Ah, yes. That." Even I could hear the dread in my own voice. I half hoped that he'd jump in once more to tell me that I needn't continue, but…alas, he didn't. He just continued to listen patiently whilst I stumbled over my words. "Well, do you remember what I said this morning abut visions? About how I can see things that happen in the past and the present, and sometimes even the future?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Good…" :At least that means I don't have to explain that all over again…that'd just make all this more complicated. I'm still not sure what exactly happened… I just have a hypothesis! Maybe I'll ask Red about it later when I get the chance.: "Well, what I didn't tell you, is that, because I have visions, it makes it easier for others who can see vision to…urm…contact me is probably the easiest way to explain it." :Not that it's a particularly easy way:

"Contact you?" he echoed questioningly, leaning forwards slightly and furrowing his brow. I realised I'd have to elaborate, and quickly cobbled together an explanation, making it up as I went along. :Thank the Gods I can think on my feet: The potion he'd given me really helped on that matter – it had energised me completely.

"They can sort of, um, make a link, if that makes any sense?" :It doesn't really, does it: I thought to myself, twisting my hands together and using all of my knowledge about spells and visions to explain to the Hylian what had happened. :It's not that easy to simplify this stuff for people who don't learn about magic: "Normally, people who can see visions have to be pretty close together to be able to have any effect on each other…but…if the person is really powerful-"

"Like this Dragmire person?" he butted in.

"Yes, like Ganondorf Dragmire," I spat the man's name out with some contempt. :Gods, my teachers would be appalled…: a small smile wormed its way onto my face, but quickly died as I continued. "He's really powerful, knows dark magic, and knows very well how to use his power to get what he wants. Which is why we have to fight against him." I made sure to keep my voice completely level so that Rufus would realise just how serious this point was. Understanding seemed to be dawning in his eyes, and I felt glad that I wasn't completely confusing him.

"Now, because of this ability to make links, he was able to get inside my head and-"

"Get inside your head?" :OK, perhaps I was premature in thinking he wasn't too confused…: "What do you mean…? As in…get inside in your head and know what you're thinking." :Nope, he's actually got it:

"Not quite like that, but almost…It's like he could see what I could, and hear, and feel what was going on. But he also had some sort of influence…control…over me." I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as I told him the next thing. "And when I wouldn't do what he wanted, he'd use the power of his dark magic to punish me." After I said it, I saw the Hylian shudder, and suddenly wished I hadn't said it. :What if he thinks I'm somehow blaming this on him…or perhaps he'll think I'm trying to make excuses: I didn't know why, but I wished to make a good impression on the lad, and so far…well…so far, I hadn't managed to do that…

:If we're going to be travelling together, I'd rather we be friends than he be scared of me: Guiltily, I admitted, "I should have been able to combat him…but…he's a lot more powerful than I thought." I rubbed the back of my neck (which was a little stiff) and sighed, the weight of Dragmire's presence lifting away. Now that my mind was my own again, it was blissfully quiet. "I just can't believe what he was trying to do; I'm glad the Great Deku Tree was able to see through what was going on…even if he did break a few bones." I smiled wanly up at the Hylian, who chuckled lightly.

"I have to admit I'm still confused." :You're not the only one lad.: "But I'm glad that you told me what was going on anyway…" He then remembered the back of my hand, and I decided that I didn't particularly want to tell him about the garden vision…or the one after it. :I don't think he really needs to know about Dragmire's funny mind-games…or my own weakness…: Again, I felt angry at myself for being tempted by his offer, and made up some weak excuse for the cuts on the back of my hand.

"Oh, my hand, yeah. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what happened there either. I just woke up after a vision, and found that my hand was bleeding." I shrugged to try and add to the guise of nonchalance about the subject. "Something to do with the Tri-Force." :Well, that's sort of the truth…: sadly, that thought didn't make me feel much better. At the mention of the Tri-Force, Rufus suddenly remembered the piece that he'd found.

"Hey, do you still have that bit I accidentally took?" My hand immediately went to the pocket I'd put the piece in,

"Oh yes, I do – urm – aha, here it is! I just hope that Dragmire doesn't figure out a way to get control of me again, especially now that I have this." I held it up to the light, and saw how it shone. :Right in front of me… Dragmire was right, I could just take it now. Find the other bit and then have the whole piece to myself. It couldn't do any harm, surely…it's not like I'm planning to bring the Great Sea to wrack and ruin… I could just be as wise as the Sheikah in the legends: I snapped myself out of it, yet again feeling appalled. "Perhaps you should take it?" I made to give it to the Hylian, but he shook his head.

"No, you should probably keep it; I always lose things." I nodded and hurriedly pocketed the golden triangle, some sense of satisfaction coursing through me as I felt the cool metal through the fabric of my bodysuit. :It's all right. I won't use it for anything. I'll just look after it… Though maybe…no. I'll give it to Red – that way I can be sure I can't do anything bad with it… But…: I again cut across the circular train of thought by changing the subject to something more appropriate.

"Urm, do you think we should wake him up again?" Rufus stared blankly at me for a moment, before seeming to understand what I'd said, and then nodded vigorously.

"Oh! Uh – yeah – may as well… We're all healed up and stuff, so we could and help those carrots-" I sniggered at his slip up, and innocently corrected him,

"Koroks!" He waved his hand with a cheery smile,

"Whatever they're called! We're healthy again, so we could go and help them out, couldn't we?" :Couldn't have said it better myself…anything to get my mind off…: I steered away from the well-trod circular thought pattern, knowing that I'd probably have that train of thought going around in my head in the weeks ahead.

"Sounds like a good plan," I agreed, but then found a slight problem. "Now – how do you suppose we wake him up?" Rufus just shrugged, and I scratched the back of my head, trying to figure out how to bring the ancient power back to life. Luckily, one of the creatures of the forest decided to appear right beside us (startling the both of us). We both turned around and my eyes widened as my eyes fell upon a real-life Korok. :Wow – the textbooks didn't lie. They really do look like walking plants:

"I know this is going to sound stupid," Rufus muttered out of the corner of his mouth to me, "but what is that?"

"That's a Korok," I whispered back, trying to look welcoming to the small plant-like creature. I cast my mind about for all the things I'd learnt about the Koroks, and not for the first time, blessed my education. My father had originally wanted me to be a doctor – but – when I discovered my magic at the age of three, it became obvious that I'd have to be a warrior. (Also, from what my mother's told me, she pushed for me to be a warrior, just in case I was the One. Definitely a good move, all things considered!)

"Urm…hello," Rufus ventured, standing up and moving towards the Korok. It immediately leapt into the air with a frightened squeak, holding aloft large leaves which caught the gust of an updraft, propelling it high into the air. The Hylian stopped dead, and looked over his shoulder at me with a hopeless look. I shrugged, guessing he must have spooked the creature…

Some good came of even this, as the Great Deku Tree stirred from his brief slumber. "What, what? My Korok, what is it?"

"Strangers in the glade!" the tiny creature answered. Looking up, I saw the ancient one narrow his black eyes, and then he looked down at Rufus and I.

"Oh, my Koroks, you needn't fear these people – they're not your enemies. Come on out and show yourselves." Then, he spoke to us. "There are not many of them left, but perhaps you would like to meet them all the same?" I was about to agree wholeheartedly, but Rufus beat me to it.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" now that he'd gotten over his initial shock, I could see his curiosity kick in. I grinned, being reminded of Firen's incredible interest in the lessons we'd learnt about the Gerudo. :The idea of a completely female race always did appeal to him: All around us, Koroks of all shapes and sizes began to appear. The first one floated gently back to the ground, and walked up to Rufus – the creature only came up to his waist, and the Hylian dropped down to meet it on eye-level. "Hey, I'm Rufus," he stuck out his hand.

The Korok just looked at it, and then looked at one of its friends, perplexed. Rufus dropped his hand, looking bashful, and I decided to go over so that he didn't feel quite so self-conscious. "I'm Linder," it answered, and then pointed to another of its kind, "and that is Hollo."

"Hollo? Should you not be brewing your potions?" the Great Deku Tree interjected. The Korok (which was very small, even by its kind's standards; it was round and a nut-brown, with vibrant green leaves adorning its head), shuffled its feet.

"I have run out of ingredients to brew with Great Deku Tree…"

"I see…of course, you have not had anyone to collect them for you…" the ancient one nodded. "Now, Rufus, Shadow, I would like you to meet some of my Koroks. They are the children of the forest, and also my children. Sheikah, I trust that you already know of their heritage?" I was surprised that he assumed I would know, and just nodded dumbly. "I thought as much – the teachings of your kind have always been very thorough… However, Rufus, I believe you do not know the story of how the Koroks came to be as they are?" the boy shook his head, his look of interest almost unbearably intense. "Well, I believe there's enough time to spare to tell you the tale at least…that is, if you wish to hear it?"

"If you're willing to tell it, then I am," the lad nodded.

"In that case, you may as well take a seat…would either of you care for something to eat? I was conversing with the King of Red Lions, and he told me that your journey has been quite arduous." I exchanged a look with Rufus at this, wondering how on earth the Great Deku Tree had managed to speak to Red. :Perhaps this is something else I shall have to talk to Red about…:

"Something to eat would be wonderful," I answered for the both of us.

"Very well – Hollo, Elma, if you please?"

"Yes Great Deku Tree," two of the Koroks hurried off, and Rufus and I both sat down once more.

"You don't mind if I start the tale now, do you? It will be rather long in the telling, so…" We both shook our heads, and Rufus caught my eye; he winked, and after a moment to think about it, I returned the gesture. :He really is beginning to remind me of Firen… I only hope he doesn't end up being quite so lazy or messy though…: I immersed myself in thoughts of home as the Great Deku Tree began speaking. Already knowing the story, it wasn't really necessary to listen again – it was enough just to watch the Hylian in front of me absorb the information with relish.

:I wonder why Hylians don't school children like we do? Rufus seems bright enough, yet he's not been taught very much at all… Though I suppose they never really expect their children to leave their islands, so perhaps it isn't seen as necessary…:

* * *

The appearance of the Koroks obviously didn't phase Shadow at all, and I felt somewhat envious of her knowledge of all the things on the Great Sea. :Not to mention the fact that I feel a bit stupid compared to her…: But, when the Great Deku Tree offered to explain about the Koroks, I decided to jump at the chance. I did briefly wonder whether his talk about 'the teachings of Shadow's people' mightn't be a veiled stab at Hylian education, and then decided I was being paranoid. :Plus, well…I guess he's right…neither Aryll of I have been to school, so…:

When the Great Deku Tree offered us something to eat, I felt my stomach physically clench at the mention of food, and was glad when Shadow immediately answered that we would have something to eat. Two of the little Koroks were sent off to get us something to eat, leaving only about four or five more – they were huddled in a group a little way away from us. :They're probably still a little scared of us: I reasoned to myself, taking up a patch of the soft grassy ground once more, ready to listen to the Deku Tree's tale. I caught the Sheikah's eye, and winked – when she winked back, I felt pleased, if a little surprised.

:I guess she just needed to get to know me a little – or maybe she actually thinks I'm all right. Which would be great, a new friend: I left my thoughts at that, liking the idea, and turned my full attention to the Great Deku Tree.

"Once upon a time, long ago, even before the seas rushed over the world and submerged the old land of Hyrule, the Koroks held human forms. You may well have heard of them in your old tales of the Hero of Time, referred to as the Kokiri."

"Yes, I have – the kids who never grew up, and had fairy companions?"

"That's right – and you know that they took care of the great Hero of Time when he was little more than a babe in arms. He grew up with them, and believed himself to be one of them until the time came for him to leave on his great adventure… That was when my ancestor became cursed by Dragmire himself," his tone darkened. I looked over at Shadow to see whether she might be affected by this, but she seemed to not be paying attention – her eyes were unfocused, staring at a waterfall off to the left.

"But that does not matter," the Great Deku Tree harrumphed. "After the adventures of the great Hero were over, he went back to the forest less and less, and as the years wore on, the existence of my forest children vanished from the knowledge of those outside the forest. As with so many other things, the Kokiri became things of legend… Not many had known of them to begin with…" he paused, as and Shadow had been earlier, seemed to be searching for the right words.

"That was, until He broke the seal and escaped back into the world, planning dreadful revenge on all who had helped the Hero." I didn't need to ask who 'he' was…it was pretty obvious by the way he said it who he meant! "Of course, he was long since dead, so the best people to strike seemed to be those who had helped raise the Hero. Being my Kokiri. He came to the forest, raging so hard that he managed to bring fire from the sky and set the whole forest alight…our only means of escape was to the great lake Hylia, where we took up residence on a tiny island at the centre. I was taken as a sapling from the living Great Deku Tree, and planted there, out of the way.

"When I became aware enough to realise what was going to happen (which was a few months after He broke loose), the Goddesses came to me and told me what they were planning to do. I ordered that the Kokiri uproot me once more, and that we go to the mountains…I'm afraid that…that…Gods…" he stammered, and I was surprised at the sudden change. All of his branches were shaking and shivering, and a few leaves fell to the ground because of the shuddering movements he made.

"Great Deku Tree, we have some…food…" the two Koroks who had left earlier ground to a halt, holding plates covered in an assortment of fruits, and looked up at their leader with trepidation. "Great Deku Tree?" the small, round one :called Hollo, I think: gave his plate to Shadow, and then hurried forwards. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing my dear one," the Great Deku Tree answered, attempting a smile – yet, his vine mouth didn't really seem to want to smile at all, and quickly fell into a grim straight line. "I am telling Rufus of our history…" The Korok nodded, and went to join its fellows – the second Korok with food handed me the plate it carried.

"Thanks," I murmured. "Great Deku Tree, is this something you'd rather not talk about?" I guessed, carefully settling the plate on the ground next to me. I saw that Shadow had done the same, and had stopped vacantly staring at the waterfall. She coughed slightly, and then suddenly launched into the story where the Great Deku tree had left off:Wow…she really does know a lot about this stuff:

"He ordered the Kokiri to take him to the mountains so that they could escape the flooding. However, Dragmire managed to discover their hideout just before they escaped, and he showed little mercy – evil creatures rarely do," she said darkly. "Many of the Kokiri were killed as they tried to escape, and the rest were injured – being away from the forest meant that they no longer had the protection of the forest spirits. The only one left to protect them was the Great Deku Tree himself. It was because you were with them that they did not die on leaving the forest – that's right, isn't it?"

"Aye, that's right – though I was unable to protect them from death by other means," the ancient tree answered sombrely.

"One cannot protect others from every harm." I nodded, surprised at the easy way that the girl in indigo talked to the Great Deku Tree. "Those that survived went to the Hylians for help, yet with Dragmire tailing them, they were turned away. It was too dangerous for them to help these 'immortals', and I believe they resented the immortality of the Kokiri also. To be forever young…a fickle dream of the old days."

"Wise words indeed young Sheikah," the Deku Tree agreed. I just sat back and listened, not really feeling I had much to contribute to the conversation.

"It's nothing but the truth…" she said. "But, as I was saying…they were refused help at every turn, so continued their flight alone. When they did finally reach the mountains, they took refuge there, hiding from Dragmire, and running when he came to close to finding them. Luckily, they managed to escape him, and even survived the floods. Thereafter, however, they were afraid of all the other races. As the Hylians had not helped them, they came to distrust the other races, and decided to redefine themselves all over again."

"And, being so closely in tune with the forest, it seemed only apt that they take these shapes you see today," the Great Deku Tree ended for her. "Thank you my dear…I was rather…at a loss…"

"That's quite all right," she nodded with a smile. "I hope I only remembered all of it correctly – it's been a while since I last studied those old legends."

"Then you remembered it beautifully!"

"Good," she nodded again, and then looked at me. She winked at me again, and I just grinned. Something about the story bothered me though, and she seemed to notice my expression. "What is it?"

"Well, you said that the Hylians wouldn't help them…what about the other races?" She blinked, and then looked up at the Great Deku Tree. "I mean, I'm not saying that I think Hylians are perfect or anything – we're not – but it just sounds like the old legends are blaming us for an awful lot…if you see what I mean…uh…" :OK, so maybe I shouldn't have opened my big mouth…:

"You make a good point," the Great Deku Tree said ponderously. "But, I do not think it is to do with blame. Rather, it's to do with your race's abundance. Compared to the Koroks, or the Rito, or even the Sheikah, you are positively common – there are very many of you, and very few of the other races. And this is how it has always been – the only race to rival you in abundance were the Gerudo, but they were all in the desert. The Hylians were the only ones we came into contact with."

"I believe the Sheikah would probably have been much the same, if they'd been around," Shadow assured me, and I felt a little better. :For a little bit, it seemed like Hylians were the bad guys in everything…not exactly something I want to hear really:

"Oh…I see…sorry, that was a stupid thing to say."

"Not at all – it's a view I've not heard before actually!" the Deku Tree assured me. :I still feel like an idiot though…: He sniffed slightly, and then changed the subject. "Perhaps you should dig into that food? Can hear both your stomachs rumbling, and I wouldn't like you to go hungry whilst I rabbit on!" Shadow didn't make any move towards her own food, but I decided that I was too hungry to be polite and wait for her. The small Korok called Hollo came over to me and sat down on the soft grass, looking for all the world as though it was ready to take root.

"Hello there," I greeted it, noticing that Shadow had climbed to her feet once more, and was moving closer to the Great Deku Tree.

"Hello! I'm sorry that we didn't exactly welcome you properly earlier, but…well…we're not used to people coming in from outside all that often."

"That's all right," I assured the small creature, after swallowing a mouthful of the sweet fruit I had been presented with. "This stuff's delicious – what is it?" In the background, I could hear the murmuring conversation of the indigo-clad girl and the ancient power, but was unable to pick out any words.

"Oh, just some fruits from the forest…we grow them ourselves. Would you perhaps like to come and see?"

"Oh, well… I'm not sure. I mean, I'd like to," I answered, putting down the piece of fruit I had been about to eat in order to engage in the conversation properly, "But I'm not sure whether there's enough time." The Great Deku Tree obviously overheard me, as he addressed me directly,

"Hollo, you may give the boy a tour of our orchards if you wish – I must speak with Shadow for a short while as it is." Again, I felt a short stab of annoyance that I wasn't to know what the two of them would be talking about. But, when the small Korok grabbed onto my hand and tugged on it, I just smiled. It reminded me of the times that the younger children back on Outset had been so keen to show me a crab or a bug, that they'd literally drag me halfway across the island to see their findings!

"When would you wish us back?" Hollo asked, shuffling from tiny foot to tiny foot.

"I shall call you when I need you to return, my dear one," the Great Deku Tree answered, a fond smile upturning his vine mouth. "Rufus, I hope you enjoy your tour."

"I'm sure I will," I smiled up at him.

"Very good…oh…and you may take some fruits for your journey if you so wish – you will probably be running low on food." :No kidding there:

* * *

I felt glad when the small Korok removed Rufus from the glade entirely. My stomach was near growling at the plate of food in front of me. Above, the Great Deku Tree smiled, and as soon as the Hylian was out of sight, intoned, "It's all right – you may eat now." For some odd reason, eating before the ancient power was not nearly as nerve racking as it would have been eating in front of the lad. :I have no idea how that works out, but, there you are…:

"Thank you for that," I pulled down my facemask and diligently tucked into my plate of food.

"Quite all right my dear – you're not the first Sheikah I have had to help out of a spot of bother like that after all!" he chortled. "However, I wasn't lying when I said I wished to talk to you."

"Aye?" I swallowed my mouthful and didn't pick up another slice of fruit, instead putting the plate onto the ground next to me and looking up at the tree. :I have the feeling this isn't going to be the most comfortable of conversations…:

"Aye. It is about Dragmire… I know that it was in no way your fault that he was able to control you as he did (I have already told the King of Red Lions about this affair), yet it cannot be allowed to happen again."

"I agree completely. I don't want to pose any risk to Rufus," I told him seriously, running the fingers of my left hand over the back of my right hand, the cuts slightly raised above the rest of my skin. "How were you able to talk to Red, if you don't mind my asking?"

In the same way that you and Dragmire were able to communicate, the Great Deku Tree's voice boomed inside my head. "But I do not like to intrude too often into the minds of the unwary or unwilling," he added quickly in proper speech. "That is also something that you yourself should follow. I trust that you have never sought into the minds of others without their knowledge?" he looked down at me sternly.

"To be quite honest, sir, I didn't even know it was possible until Dragmire contacted me," I admitted, feeling a little foolish. "It must seem stupid when I don't even know how my own powers work…"

"You're only young, Sheikah. It takes many years to fully understand oneself," he said wisely. I just nodded. :I still feel a little foolish though.:

I heard that. "Sorry," he quickly added in speech. "As you can see, sometimes it can be hard to prevent yourself from intruding into the minds of others." Something clicked in my mind.

"That was how you knew it was Dragmire!"

"Yes, that's right," he conceded. "And for once, I'm glad that I was not keeping such a close control over my own power as I should… However! This isn't what I wished to talk to you about, so I must get back to the matter in hand." I shivered slightly at the intensity and darkness of his tone. "Dragmire must never again be able to control you as he did today. As you said, it would endanger the lad. But it could also endanger you, and your family – anyone and everyone you have ever met could become a potential target for his wrath."

Unable to find words, I just looked blankly at one of the many beautifully cascading waterfalls in the clearing, and nodded. :I know… I'm just not powerful enough to stop him.:

"It's not just a question of power. Sorry," he smiled wanly when I looked back up at him. "But it isn't. Sometimes even the most powerful magic users can be overthrown with the simplest of plans. All you must do is shut him out. You managed that for a short time this morning, but then your feelings got the better of you… In some ways, the original Sheikah lifestyle may have hit the nail on the head."

"So…you're saying that…the only way to prevent him from…from doing that again is to…to return to the old training?" He harrumphed, perhaps annoyed at the fact that I had, as he put it, 'hit the nail on the head'.

"Exactly."

:So, I have been liberated by Valoo, only to be told that my liberation could endanger the lives of all on the Great Sea? …I am beginning to wish that Valoo never allowed me to feel as I have in the past few days… To discover such emotions flowing so easily, and now to lose them again…: I knew that the ancient one was diligently keeping out of my thoughts, as was grateful for that. Heavily, I agreed,

"I see what you mean sir… I shall follow your advice, in order that we may succeed in overcoming Dragmire's intentions." Inside, I felt as though I were being wrenched into two separate people. The perfect Sheikah warrior that I had been trained to be. And the adventurer who had discovered the true depths of emotion. I returned to my training, and ignored the second girl.

Having lost my appetite, I pulled my facemask up, and waited for Rufus as the Korok to return. The Great Deku Tree became inanimate once more, and the glad fell silent. It was a beautiful place, with colours more vivid that any I had ever seen before.

Yet, as far as I was now concerned, everything may as well have been in all shades of grey. As my emotions were, now the world would become. Dull, predictable, and functional to the point of agonising boredom.

* * *

_To answer JRJathome…nah, it's not linked to Alexis I'm afraid…the whole Sheikah past will be explained later on taps nose. But, this isn't linked to Thievery or Repaying a Debt (I promise I'll finish that damned series one day… I've already actually written the final chapter for the third story… I just have to fill in the second and write the rest of the third. Heh… sheepish look.) As for Lossemare glomps her muchly I'm sorry about the confusing nature of the thoughts…I think that must have been where I left off one night, and then carried on the next day, only I lost the thread a little…urm…bad excuse I know! Blushes. I'm glad I made you like Ganondorf! I just…oooh…bad boys she melts. Oh, and H7 (my dearest darling one whose brain I have yet to steal…dangit…) the game colours! I played around with my TV with Super Smash Bros. Melee – boy, I had fun! Ehehehehe, can anyone say 'neon green Sheikiebaby!' Shakes head Yup, I'm easily pleased._

_Lastly, be amazed by my crappy two points of view in one chapter…where yet again, not much happened. :Bangs head on desk: how dull a writer I am! Feel free to whack me round the head with a frying pan for being so slow and boring. Rufus :pettles him: so easily pleased by the prospect of a new friend. Korok history blatantly stolen from the game, but changed around a whee bit. That bit at the end is merely because Shadow was starting to become too happy for my dark, angsty purposes. _


	18. Together: Of Winds and Wolfos

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Now that I've saturated myself with Zelda fanart over at deviantart (and looked at H7's beautiful gallery again), I'll get on with this chapter. Woot for the inspiration of the shmexy Karadur!_

_In the last chapter, I went over the history of the Koroks, made Rufus doubt the merits of the Hylian race, and made Shadow realise that the Sheikah ways are there for a very important reason. Rufus went off to see the gardens with one of the Koroks, and possibly gather some food… However, the time for another adventure fast approaches. How will our dynamic duo (I've wanted to use that phrase for so long now!) cope with the ever-changing situation?_

_Stuff in : single colons AND italics : are thoughts for Rufus and Shadow (this is because otherwise they just seemed to blend in with the rest of the text…) Visions or dreams in italics. Mostly self-explanatory really… OH, and things in / slashes and italics / and Dragmire's thoughts (diabolical ad not to mention amusing evil genius that he is!)_

* * *

**Together: Of Winds and Wolfos**

When Hollo and I returned from the tour of the orchards, it was to find that Shadow had finished her meal, and was sitting quietly by herself next to one of the many streams that ran through the glade. Her right hand (the one with the cuts on it) she dangled in the water, and even from a distance, I could see that her eyes were glazed over. I had the feeling that she was in deep thought, and walked as quietly as I could so that I wouldn't disturb her.

Other than the trickling of the waterfalls, and the quiet hum of bees buzzing from flower to flower, the clearing was silent, and I couldn't help the grin that crossed my face. :_I guess I should really make the most of this – it won't be quiet for long.:_ I didn't know quite how I knew that, but then again, I suppose it's always inevitable that silence will be broken.

Hollo loitered around next to me, looking unsure of what to do next. Taking the initiative, I sank down onto my knees on the soft grass, and patted the ground next to me. "Sit?" The little Korok dropped to the ground as well, the small bundle of fruits we had gathered together being placed on the floor next to him. A couple of them rolled out of the small square of cloth, and I quickly caught them before they could tumble into the water.

"Here, I'll wrap these up properly," Hollo offered, proffering his small hands to take the fruit from me. He too seemed to have realised the need for quiet, as he was whispering. I handed him the juicy red apple and firm orange that I'd rescued, and then looked over my shoulder at the girl in indigo. She hadn't moved since the last time I looked, so I chose to leave her be for the moment. _:She's probably thinking about something important I suppose. And I wouldn't want to interrupt her…:_

However, it looked as though I wouldn't have to be the one to worry about that. The Great Deku Tree stirred slightly, those large black eyes widening, and his branches shaking slightly as he shook himself awake. "Hmm, hoom. Oh! Rufus, and Hollo, my dear one, you're back. I trust you found a few things to take with you?"

"Yes, thank you sir," I answered respectfully, turning around so that I fully faced him. The girl still hadn't moved an inch._ :What's she doing I wonder...:_ "Urm – the orchards you have here are lovely," I added, attempting to make conversation, but not really sure what to say.

"Why, thank you," he said graciously. His face quickly turned sombre, which could only mean one thing. "I fear that these pleasantries must be shed however. It is time that the both of you left for the Forbidden Forest – there's not much time left. The wind is right for your journey now."

"How do we get in?" I craned around to look at Shadow, only to find that she had moved from her seat, and was now standing about ten metres to the left of where I'd last seen her. _:Wow…that's fast:_ She was holding the piece of Tri-Force I'd found in Marie's coat in both hands, staring at it blankly. The Great Deku Tree didn't seem to notice this, instead addressing my question.

"I believe my Koroks will be able to help you with that – they have some slight magic that could help you. I shall call them, but after that, I must speak with the King of Red Lions once more. Do you think you will be all right from here?"

"Urm… I don't know… Shadow?" She blinked once, and then slowly lifted her eyes to mine.

"Yes?" she asked softly, putting away the Tri-Force piece.

"Are you – we I mean – are we ready to go, d'you think?" I scratched the back of my neck unsurely as I waited for her answer. There was barely a second's silence before she nodded,

"I believe we are, yes." She patted the pocket she'd put the small golden triangle into, as if assuring that it were indeed there. All around us, the small Koroks were beginning to congregate, crowding around Hollo, who seemed to be acting as some sort of leader to the rest of them. The Great Deku Tree fell silent and became as inanimate as any other tree in the forest. Shadow swung her arms slightly, before stretching and walking over to me.

As soon as she was standing next to me, Hollo stuck one of his short arms into the air, and the rabble of Koroks fell silent. "The Great Deku Tree wants us to escort these two people to the Forbidden Forest," there was a slight gasp from all the small creatures. "I know it's not a place we'd choose to go, but these two have offered their help, so it's only fair that we help them in return." Murmurs of assent rippled between the tiny Koroks, and I managed a small smile at Shadow, who returned my smile with a slight nod of the head. "Now, we need to ferry them across to the cliff, and then we can use the up-draughts to get to the Forbidden Forest; we'll need some vines, and Linder-"

"Yes?" a tall, thin Korok with a wreath of white blossoms acting as a sort of hair on its head, stepped forwards after being called.

"Could you go to the workshop and get some potions for me?"

"Any specific ones, or just any old rubbish?" Linder asked coyly. Hollo just frowned,

"This isn't time for jokes – you know which potions I mean. Now, go on!" The tall Korok hurried off; I could hear it mutter something that was probably very rude under it's breath. "Right. As for the vines, Elma, can you and a few others get those?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." A small contingency of the leaf-like people broke off from the main crowd and moved towards the trees that surrounded the clearing. _:I wonder what the vines are for:_ I thought. "Now, Hylian and Sheikah, will you follow us? We can take you halfway across right now, using the bridge between here and the cliff that stands between the two islands. Then, I'm afraid that you'll have to wait a while before we can take you any further…"

"That's all right," I assured him, picking up the fruit I'd collected and stuffing it into my bag as we walked along. The girl in indigo overtook me and walked next to Hollo at the front of the line of Koroks looking after us – her pack looked quite empty compared to mine, and I wondered what she carried with her. _:It's nosy of me, I know, but…there's no harm in just wondering.:_ Deciding that I wasn't likely to find out any time soon, my mind fell onto less pleasant wonderings. _:I wonder why this 'Forbidden Forest' is so dangerous? I mean, it must be if Shadow knows about it and she doesn't even come from here…well, maybe she does. I should ask her stuff like that…I don't know anything about her! Red trusts her, and I trust him, so…:_ My thoughts trailed off as we stopped in front a vine-covered, sheer cliff.

"We need to go up there to reach the opening out into the bay on this side," Hollo instructed, pointing to a just-visible hole in the rock above. Light spilled through it, looking odd against the dappled, subdued light of the rest of the magical clearing. I let out a sigh, which came out louder than I'd meant it to, and drew the attention of the girl.

"I'm beginning to wish we had some Rito around to help," she quipped dryly, nodding to the wall and then looking up the opening. "Want me to go first?" she asked, sidling over to me through the throng of Koroks. I shrugged, honestly not caring either way.

"That's up to you – all I can say is I'm a pretty slow climber…and not a good one either," I admitted, lowering my tone to confide this information in her. I had the feeling that she wasn't fazed by this information.

"Well, I've got some rope in here somewhere," she murmured, swinging the half-empty pack from her shoulder and into her hands so that she could rummage through the contents. _:Well, now I know one of the things she keeps in there:_ I smiled slightly, somehow calmed by her sense of forethought to bring some rope with her. "Ah, here we are," she took out a long coil of thin cord, and put it over the shoulder not bearing the pack. "I'll go up, find something to tie this onto, and chuck it down to you – that is, if that'll help?" she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Uh – well – yeah, that'd be great," I blustered gratefully. "But only if you promise me one thing."

"Yes?"

"If I fall, will you make sure to catch me on the rope?" I grinned sheepishly. She just nodded silently, the crinkles at the corners of her eyes making me think she must be smiling underneath the mask she wore.

"Right. I'll be as quick as I can," she said, before turning away from me again and making her way back to the wall. The Koroks moved back slightly, and I watched in amazement as the leaves on top of their heads grew. No plant could ever have grown so fast, but these leaves were soon even bigger than the Koroks themselves! An unspoken signal of sorts passed between them, because they all launched into the air as one, hovering above like so many giant moths or birds.

Whilst this had been taking place, the Sheikah girl had managed to scale over half of the towering cliff face – looking up, my mind boggled as she climbed about as fast as I could run, if not faster. _:Wow.:_ Pretty soon, she'd reached the summit, and disappeared from view. Not two seconds later, the coil of rope tumbled through the air and landed with a thump on the ground. "There you are Rufus; go carefully and take as long as you need," she called, leaning over the edge of the outcrop to speak to me. It was the loudest I'd heard her raise her voice so far.

Heeding her advice, I grabbed onto the rope, and looped it around my middle a couple of times to act as a sort of safety harness. Looking up, I could see her patiently waiting for me to start my climb, ready to wind in the slack rope as soon as I did. _:I hope she's strong enough to hold me if I fall…:_ I had my doubts about that – she was rather slender after all._ :And I'm not exactly light as a feather here:_ I though wryly, suddenly wishing that I'd abstained a little more often from the second helpings Grandma always insists I have! "Rufus, are you all right down there?" Shadow's voice jolted me back into action, and I looked up at her.

"Yeah, I'm coming up!" I hollered back, lifting my arms up and searching for a good handhold or two. When I managed to get a good grip on the criss-crossing vines, I lifted one foot off the ground and repeated the process. Then, transferring most of my weight onto my hands, I took my other foot from the ground, leaving its safety altogether._ :No sweat – it's just like climbing the ladder to the lookout. You'll be at the top before you know it:_ My little internal pep talk didn't assure me much…but the girl above holding onto my safety rope did.

Though it was difficult to find handholds to latch onto, it wasn't impossible – with a little help from the rope, I finally managed to reach the top without slipping so much as once. The Sheikah knelt down and grabbed onto the back of my belt to pull me up, and I fell onto the grass next to her, breathing heavily. "How…gasp…did you manage…wheeze…that – so – fast?" I asked, hyperventilating from the exertion. She just shrugged, and stood up, before helping me onto my feet as well. I untied the rope from around my waist and handed the end to her.

As soon as we were both standing, the Koroks landed next to us, and hurried out of the jagged opening and into the sunlight. Shielding my eyes, I followed after them, near blinded until my sight managed to adjust. "Gods," I gasped, taking in the island ahead of us. "Is that it?" I pointed towards the towering mass of crowded trees, having the feeling that hundreds of eyes were watching me from within their dark shadows. Around the summit of the steep island I could see many kargoroks making huge circles, their calls drifting towards us on the wind.

"That's it," the girl confirmed, tucking a stray strand of hair back behind her ear as the wind stubbornly tried to whip it into her face. I nodded, and let out a slow breath._ :It's fine. I have help. And I sort of know what to expect, so…yeah…this'll be fine.:_ To try and convince myself of my newfound courage, I looked around for Hollo. When I managed to spot him, I asked,

"So, what do we do now?"

"Well…nothing…at least…not until the wind blows the right way…" Immediately, I shrugged off my bag, feeling glad that my brain was working (for once). "What are you-? Is that-? But, it can't be… I did not realise that – no wonder the Great Deku Tree saw you as-" the Korok trailed off, unable to string a coherent sentence together. I just flushed, and waited for him to calm down slightly before asking,

"So, which way does the wind need to go?"

"Northwest," the small plant-like creature answered, still sounding slightly awestruck. Feeling embarrassed, I just repeated the conduction of wind that Zephos had told me back on Dragon Roost Island. _:Right, three-beat time…anticlockwise circle. Two downbeats, one up, clockwise circle, and – there:_ Time suddenly stood still, the wind dying away to nothing, and the girl (who was coiling up her rope around her hand and elbow) was as still as the wind. I took the opportunity to study her once more, finally close enough to see how different she was to anyone else I'd ever met.

For one thing, even though she was taller than me, I knew that she'd be short for her age if she were a Hylian. And she was definitely a lot slimmer (and surprisingly strong despite this) than any girl I'd ever met. Her ears were shorter and closer to her head than mine were, though came to a sharper point…in fact, her whole face was quite angular, offset by large, soft eyes the colour of blood. But, the most striking thing was probably the way she was holding herself…every part of her was tense, ready to jump or run, ready to move into action at the slightest possible notice. She stood on the balls of her feet, and though she had her eyes glued to the working of the rope, her ears were pricked.

I tried to decide what it was she reminded me of, frowning as I fought to find the name of the creature I was thinking of. :_She's like…like…a…oh, what're they called? Four legs, tail, furry. I'm sure there was one on Outset Isle once…a sort of orange furry thing. A…cat! That's it! She's like this big cat, ready to pounce.:_ Recalling recent events, I found I didn't much like this comparison. And, well, I didn't want to push my luck by holding time back for too long, so I just said, "Northwest."

And everything started up again.

"Well – I – wow," Hollo ended, as the wind suddenly blew in the right direction once more. Then, he shook himself, and turned to the other Koroks. "Right – we'll need to tie all these vines together to make a net to carry them across in," he nodded his leaf-adorned head towards us. "This won't take more than a few minutes," he said to me. _:So…they're going to fly us across…:_ I was again doubtful – they weren't as big as the Rito were – what if they couldn't lift us?

"So, you're going to drop us off on the island?" I queried, nodding over the scary-looking landmass across the channel of water.

"'Drop' being the operative word I'm afraid – we daren't land there," the Korok informed me, shuddering slightly just looking at our destination. "It's a dark place… Not that I mean to scare you mind – rather…just make sure that you watch your backs."

"Yeah, we will," I nodded reassuringly, once again glancing over at the Forbidden Forest. A great feeling of foreboding washed over me, and I wonder what we'd encounter when we got there…

"Hollo!" the tall, thin Korok _:Linder, I think:_ alighted on the cliff-top, and scurried out from the green light cast by the sun through the canopy over head. In his arms he clutched a basket full of small glass bottles. My eyes widened when I saw the contents of the bottles – blue liquid… Blue potions! The tall Korok deposited the basket at Hollo's feet, the small round Korok muttering his thanks. Then, Linder backed away and went to help the other Koroks with the vine net.

I peeked at Shadow, and saw that she was still working with the length of rope, folding it over on itself so that it would fit back into her pack. Deciding that she was occupied, I went over to the Hollo, interested in what the potions were for. When he saw me coming over, he looked up and smiled at me, a potion in each hand. "Ah, Rufus. I thought you and your Sheikah companion might find these useful," he held up the small bottles, obviously wanting me to take them. I did so, and studied the liquid in the containers. "It's blue potion."

"Yeah – I know. I bought some on Windfall you see," I added at his look of surprise. He just nodded, and jostled about a few more bottles, helping me to pack four of them into my bag. Then, on seeing that he had four more, I looked over my shoulder at Shadow. She was now staring fixedly at the island that glazed look on her face again. _:I hope that Dragmire isn't trying to control her again:_ I thought, trepidation about travelling with her filling me once more. _:She helped me back on Dragon Roost, true…but…today, she just…:_ I didn't fully trust her – not quite yet.

"Hollo, you may as well give me those as well; I'll give them to Shadow later on – she looks a bit preoccupied at the moment."

"All right, let's put them in your bag then."

"Good idea."

* * *

I looked up at the vine-covered surface with little worry. It was too high to jump, but the plants growing across and over the rock provided a perfect latticework of hand and footholds. I heard the Hylian boy sigh heavily, and looked over at him. Trying to both cheer him up, and reassure him that I was no longer some crazed madwoman, I joked, "I'm beginning to wish we had some Rito around to help." I indicated the wall, and he smiled slightly as I carefully weaved my way through the mass of Koroks to stand next to him. I could tell that he wasn't relishing the idea of the climb, and asked, "Want me to go first?"

He shrugged at the offer, and then whispered back. "That's up to you – all I can say is I'm a pretty slow climber." He paused, and frowned a little before continuing, "And not a good one either." I wasn't particularly surprised by this information._ :After all, Hylians aren't in the habit of training their children in much at all, as I've already seen in that haphazard fighting style of his…:_

_/It is a rather terrible form he fights with, isn't it/ _Dragmire remarked dryly. I frowned (deep down I was glad that I was wearing a mask so that Rufus couldn't see the expression), annoyed that Dragmire had managed to worm his way back into my thoughts so soon. _/Well, if you will insist in intriguing one so… Plus, well… It's quite obvious you don't particularly want to be rid of me just yet, or else you'd have followed the Ancient fool's advice./_

_:Shut up.:_ I cleared my head of everything other than what was at hand, doing my best to keep my emotions at bay. I managed to continue to project a vaguely friendly persona to the lad, but it was all just politeness. "Well, I've got some rope in here somewhere," I said, more to myself than to him. I saw the corners of the Hylian's mouth turn upwards a little, and wondered what had amused him… When I found the rope, I fumbled around with it slightly, proclaiming, "Ah, here we are," as I hooked it over my other shoulder. Then, after about a second's thought, I voiced a proposition that I thought would suit the lad. "I'll go up, find something to tie this onto and chuck it down to you…that is, if that'll help?" I quirked an eyebrow as I waited for him to mull it over.

It didn't take him long, and he stammered his thanks almost immediately. I could practically feel his relief wash over me, and mentally prepared myself for a super-fast climb. Even through Dragmire's constant invasions, and the Hylian's wayward emotions, it was easy to feel the weight of impending disaster pressing on my shoulders. _:The sooner we return those Koroks to where they belong, the better.:_ I blinked when Rufus said something rather unexpected…

"But only if you promise me one thing."

_:A little bit presumptuous…:_ I thought, though I was unable to drum up any annoyance. "Yes?" His answer made me want to laugh, but I settled for a smile instead, nodding to show that I agreed to his terms. His sheepish smile reminded me once again of Firen back home…

_"Firen!" I barked, surveying the interior of our shared storage cupboard with utmost disgust. He had, yet again neglected to clip his crossbow into place, and his still-dirty boots had been carelessly tossed in, managing to knock over a while crate of deku-nuts, which had cracked open and scorched the floorboards. :I'm going to kill him: I thought, seeing that my own effects had also been affected by his messy house-keeping – the only dress I owned (and the one that I would need for the ceremonial end of year ceremony) was so scorched around the bottom that it was un-wearable!_

_My raven-haired friend sauntered casually into the bunkhouse, and started when he saw where I was standing. By the widening of his eyes, I knew he was turning over in his mind whether he'd be able to run away fast enough to escape me. When he had calculated that he wouldn't be able to (it only took him the barest fraction of a second), he pulled down his facemask and offered me what he obviously hoped was a winning smile. "Yes Shadow?" he questioned, knowing full well what the problem was._

_"Come here," I commanded forcefully. Cringing, he stepped forwards, now able to see into our shared cupboard. "See what you've done by being messy – again – you'd better start being very nice to me, or I might have to hurt you." He looked sidelong at me, that awkward grin and the fear in his eyes nearly melting my hard stance. We both knew I could do some real damage to him, and he to me. I sighed heavily, and stepped into the storage room, dragging him with me. "Come on, help me clear this up, and then you're coming shopping for another dress with me."_

_He nodded in agreement, having gauged that it would be best to keep his mouth shut. Shaking my head, I bent down, picked up his crossbow, and handed it to him. "See those clips?" I indicated the wall next to him. "That is where that goes. Use them." He nodded again, and after putting the weapon away, helped me to tidy up._

"If I fall, will you make sure to catch me on the rope?"

"Right." I nodded, shrugging so that the rope was more secure on my shoulder. "I'll be as quick as I can." With that, I swivelled on the balls of my feet to face the cliff-face, and marched purposefully towards it, driven by the need to save those Koroks as soon as possible.

_/Your noble nature's very becoming – such a shame you choose to serve the wrong side. With me, you could be…the best…wisest…strongest Sheikah. Greater than the great Impa herself perhaps. And yet, you resist… What have you got to lose? Other than that Hylian brat…/_ I sped up, believing that I could somehow run away from his honeyed words if I could just go fast enough. _/Wear yourself out – you cannot keep me at bay for forever…your people have forgotten how_ not_ to feel./_

_:Well, then, I shall have to endeavour to remember how to _forget_ my feelings then:_ I contested, not caring that I wasn't making a great deal of sense. I sped up again, focusing on where to put my hand, ensuring that my feet were placed correctly, on the climbing and nothing else. The vines flashed by as I sped upwards, leaving the ground behind – leaving his voice behind. When I could feel him about to say something else, I bit down hard on my tongue, and focused on the pain this caused. By turning myself inwards, I was able to silence him. :But I can't keep biting my tongue forever…: Tears were in my eyes, and I had to return my attention to the blurry world around me in order to prevent an accident.

When I reached the summit, I hurriedly ran over to conveniently placed boulder, and looped by rope around it. After tugging on the cord to ensure myself that it would hold, I wrapped it around my hands a few times so that I could really get a purchase on it. That done, I went back over to the edge of the precipice and threw the rest of the rope down. Rufus watched it tumble through the air – when he didn't immediately move, I prompted him into action with a few encouraging words. "There you are Rufus – go carefully and take as long as you need!"

This provoked the reaction I had hoped for, as he passed the rope around his waist a couple of times and tied it off as a harness. I waited patiently, bracing myself to both reel in the slack rope and take his weight._ :I suppose at least he won't be as heavy as either Firen or Delia…:_ I thought, now turning to inane and unimportant thoughts, just in case the Gerudo was lurking… When the Hylian seemed to hesitate at the bottom of the near-vertical climb, I called, "Rufus, are you all right down there?" His reaction was immediate, which was good.

"Yeah, I'm coming up!" with that, he began his climb. I watched him intently, ready to fulfil my promise and catch him if he should slip. He ascended slowly, taking his time to search around for suitable hand holds, testing and retesting before he'd rest his full weight on them. I greatly appreciated his due care and attention to such things. Not even all Sheikah would have taken so much care – there were a few in my classes who would probably have tried to copy my speed – but not many would have made it to the top without at least a few slips or falls. I smiled contently at this thought, glad and strangely proud of Rufus' actions.

When he finally reached the summit, I could see that he was exhausted. I bent down, and managed to catch onto his strong leather belt at the back – this I used to haul him the rest of the way up. He lay on the lush grass, panting. Even though he was still so short of breath, he managed to force out a question, pausing every couple of words to draw in another huge breath. "How…did you manage…that – so – fast?" I just shrugged, and then helped him back onto his feet. He unhooked the lengths of rope from around his middle, and handed it back to me.

I began coiling it up once more, using my left hand and elbow to make sure it didn't tangle. The Koroks appeared from the air, and lead us out onto a high plateau in the blazing sunshine. My sight adjusted almost immediately, and my eyes fell upon the ominous isle straight ahead of us. Rufus obviously spotted it a few seconds later, as I heard him gasp," Gods, is that it?" From the corner of my eye, I saw him point to the island across the inlet.

"That's it," I confirmed for him, watching through narrowed eyes as one of the circling kargoroks suddenly dove into the thick forest we were about to enter. The wind plucked a few strands of hair away from my head, and blew them across my face – irritated, I tucked them behind my ear. As Rufus turned to talk to Hollo, the smallest of the Koroks with us, I continued to study our destination._ :The place looks huge – how are we going to find all of these Koroks? It'll be like looking for a-:_

_/Leaf on a tree/_ Dragmire supplied, the sarcasm dripping from the variation of an old expression. Noticing my internally fired withering look, I felt him shrug. _/What? Were you hoping for some marvellous revelation? Do remember that at the moment we are on different sides… Though…as you know, I would be willing to change all that./_ The roaring southerly wind lulled slightly, caressing the bare parts of my face, and wrapping cool tendrils around me – almost like an embrace.

I shook myself a little, realising what the Gerudo had been trying to do. Though he no longer had the power to control me, he could influence my perceptions. _:Leave me alone:_ I exclaimed, though it was an ineffectual plea.

_/And miss out on all the fun/_ I felt pressure on my left shoulder, as though there were someone's hand there. Shuddering, I looked down, dreading what I would see – but there was nothing. _/Miss out on you, pet? I think not…I enjoy you too much./_ It was impossible to ignore the overtones that this statement held, and I flushed deeply, embarrassed…and angry at myself because, deep down, I liked the attention.

Rufus was holding the Windwaker when I next looked at him. The wind had changed direction, so I guessed that he must have just used the instrument. He looked over at me, and I looked away, carefully rewinding the last few feet of rope, and stuffing the whole lot back into my bag, undoing my careful work in my haste.

I found myself unable to look at the boy, unsure of what I might say if I opened my mouth. My thoughts were in utter turmoil and I did my utmost to keep my exterior calm._ :Don't want to panic the lad after all.:_ He had more than enough to worry about after all… He didn't need to know that his travelling companion was slowly going mad in the confines of her own head. For, all I could hear were the ringing, wise, booming voices of two living deities, giving me conflicted advice that only served to confuse me further. _:I have to let go and feel…but if I do, I endanger myself, the Hylian…and the Great Sea itself:_

_/It's a pretty little dilemma, isn't it my dear/_ I trembled momentarily as Dragmire cut into my thoughts, before calmly pushing him out of them again.

:_Pretty as the dilemma is, I won't let it bother me anymore. Find someone else to annoy.:_ He made a petulant little 'hmph' noise, before exiting, with a painful stab of pain at the base of my skull as he went.

"Looks like we're going to have another go at flying," Rufus observed, as the Koroks continued to rig up a sort of vine-net in which to carry us across the sea to our destination. "Are they sure that will hold us?" he asked with a slightly amused kilter in his voice; I just grinned a little and shook my head at his attempt at conversation. "I suppose they will, or the Great Deku Tree would be in trouble – can't have us falling in the sea."

"Exactly," I agreed, feeling awkward as I finally entered the conversation. He looked up at me, perhaps waiting for me to say something more. I rove my eyes over the scenery to try and find something to talk about – when they fell on the bridge, an idea came into my head. "Why don't we go over the bridge to get a closer look?" He looked at the rope-bridge, which swayed slightly in the breeze, and then at the island we would soon be travelling to.

"Sounds like a good idea – I'd like to prepare myself for whatever we end up finding there." I nodded, and signalled that he could take the lead. However, he hesitated slightly, hands curling into loose fists and then relaxing once more.

"Shall I go first?" I asked – he met my eyes, and his unspoken lingering fear of me was evident. _:Oh Gods…see what you've done Dragmire:_

_/Me/_ the Gerudo sounded scandalised. _/I believe it was you holding the torch and trying to set the Great Deku Tree alight, was it not/_ I growled at him. Seeing Rufus take a step back, I realised that I'd growled aloud, and cursed myself for doing so.

"All right, I'll go first," I decided, forging ahead towards the bridge – the Hylian fell into stride behind me, and I could feel those azure eyes warily following my every move. The uneasy silence fell between us once more, replaced by the whistling of the wind through distant trees, and the occasional creak of the bridge as we traversed its old wooden boards. It took less than a minute to reach the other side, which ended at the tiny outcrop of rock in the centre of the two islands. Sparse vegetation covered the weathered rock, and I watched a few beetles scurry over the toe of my right boot when I nudged a stone to the side.

The lad came to a dead stop behind me, eyes now fixed on the other island once more._ :The Forbidden Forest. A place of childhood nightmares, where no sensible person dares to tread.:_

_/And yet you still have the silly notion to try and rescue these plant-creatures from it? What foolishness/_

_:Or it could be construed as bravery, considering the Hylian and I both know what we're getting ourselves into.:_ I argued back, glad in an undeniably twisted manner that I had someone to talk to.

_/Glad to be of service/_ I felt Dragmire nod, and the smile on his face. He continued _/Yet, just as there is a thin line between genius and madness, there is also a thin line between bravery and foolishness./_

_:I know which side of the line we're on – you, however…:_ I smirked as he registered my veiled insult. Then, I ignored his annoyed spluttering when Rufus exclaimed,

"Shadow! Did you see that? Look, there!" I followed the line of his finger, and squinted, thinking that I must, simply must be imagining what I saw. :It's – it's not possible: Dragmire, who had been busy trying to think of a comeback to my previous insult, demanded to know what I'd just seen. I didn't see what harm it could do to tell him, but… I didn't want to give him the satisfaction… However, when it moved again, Dragmire saw what it was through my eyes. His shock was palpable, which in turn shocked me even more… _:You didn't know, did you? You didn't know they were here:_

_/You may accuse me of being mad, but I'm not quite so mad as that/_ he answered breathlessly, before seeming to regain himself. _/I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun with them though…/_ Rufus gently tapped me on the shoulder, and I tore my eyes away from the dark trees, forced myself to stop watching for more movement. My shock must have been as evident in my eyes as confusion was in the eyes of the Hylian.

"What _was_ that?" he asked, his voice lowered.

"That," I swallowed, and thought. _:They're extinct. I swear to the Gods, the tales have all said that they died in the flood:_ "That…was a Wolfos," I concluded, head reeling. Now that I had said it aloud, it seemed that much more real. :_And if there are Wolfos…just think what else might be lurking… Moblins, gibdos, even darknuts…but how do you fight something that follows no rules, no patterns? I…:_

_/You have found the flaw in your training./_ Dragmire sounded sincere, even – worried? _/As I said, you intrigue me Sheikah. I want you to die little more than you would wish death upon yourself./_

_:Well, lovely as that is, I can't reciprocate the feeling.:_

_/I didn't expect you would./_ He drew back, lurking ready to talk, but still unable to control me as he had before. _/Don't worry, I'm content just to watch. For now./_ Rufus had stepped around me so that he was standing closer to the Forbidden Forest than I was. "So…"he began tentatively, "what exactly is a Wolfos?"

"Do you really want to know?" I questioned, registering that we were both whispering, though I couldn't tell you why. He nodded, adding a fervent,

"Yes – if you'll tell me." I sighed deeply, remembering back to the lessons I had spent studying these creatures. They were strong, and fast, clever, unpredictable. But most of all, they were mean. Difficult to fight, even more difficult to kill. _:And that island is teeming with them, I'd bet anything on that. They must have been breeding there ever since the formation of the Great Sea:_ "Shadow?" the Hylian prompted.

"Hrm? Oh! Yes. Well – hang on – can we go back over to the others first…it's just…I feel we're too close for the moment."

"Oh, right – yeah, OK." This time, he took the lead; I supposed that in his curiosity, he had forgotten his fear, even if only for a little while. I, on the other hand, had gone to the other extreme. I looked over my shoulder, catching more darting shadows moving beneath the trees. _:I'm not looking forward to this.:_

_/Well then, perhaps my offer would be more tempting/_ Once again, the Gerudo pounced on an opportunity. I just ignored him, and began to ponder exactly how I was going to phrase things to Rufus. I wanted him to be aware of the danger these things were, but I didn't want to terrify him out of his wits.

_:I'm scared enough as it is, and I'm used to fighting.:_

* * *

"Why don't we go over the bridge to get a closer look?" the Sheikah girl suggested, gesturing at the rope bridge between our plateau and the small outcrop in the centre of the channel between the two islands.

"Sounds like a good idea – I'd like to prepare myself for whatever we end up finding there," I agreed. The bridge swayed in the stiff breeze, but seemed to be pretty sturdy otherwise – I was briefly reminded of the bridge back home which in turn reminded me of… _:Oh, Aryll, I miss you so much:_ I could see the look on her face as she was whisked away by that giant, black bird. The horror when that same black bird dragged us apart again at the Forsaken Fortress. I frowned, berating myself for not being prepared. When Shadow gestured that I should go first, I hesitated; she got the message.

"Shall I go first?" I met her eyes, and silently communicated my worry. _:I know there's probably no reason at all to worry, but – I just… I just can't trust her quite yet.: _She growled quite suddenly, which made me all the more cautious. I even took a step back, just in case she decided to lunge at me or something. "All right, I'll go first," she said, rather snappishly, stalking off towards the bridge and hurriedly crossing it. I followed her, watching her every move and preparing myself to run back the way I'd come if I had to.

When we reached the other side, both of us stopped and stared intently at our destination. Shadow gained that glazed over look again, but I didn't bother to try and make her snap out of it. After that growl, I had the feeling that she was best left alone for the moment. So, instead, I watched a few of the kargoroks overhead wheel through the sky. One dove like a stone, plummeting downwards towards the sea, and coming back up with a large fish in its beak.

As I followed its ascent, something scurrying about in amongst the forest trees caught my attention. It flashed in and out of the gloomy shadows cast by the vegetation – I managed to see teeth, claws, and a tail as it blundered back into the undergrowth and out of sight. I held my breath, thinking somehow that this would make the creature come back. It did return, though I doubt it was due to any action on my part. When it was fully lit up by the afternoon sunshine, I exclaimed, "Shadow!" I pointed to where the creature was still standing, "Did you see that? Look, there!"

The red-eyed girl stared, at first with narrowed eyes as she tried to pinpoint what I was looking at. Then, when she found the creature, her eyes fluttered open about as wide as they could go, and she became as still as she had been when I'd been changing the wind. When she didn't move for the next ten seconds, I tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "What was that?" I murmured, not quite knowing why I spoke so quietly. There just seemed to be a need for it…

"That…" she paused. "That was a…Wolfos." The answer hadn't exactly been as enlightening as I'd hoped. I just nodded, pretending to understand. When no further explanation was forthcoming, I tried again,

"So…what exactly is a Wolfos?" I felt stupid once again, wondering how it was that this girl knew so much more than I did about…well…everything really.

"Do you really want to know?" I could see that she was shaking, but I just had to know, so I said,

"Yes. If you'll tell me." She sighed, and withdrew into herself again, eyes going blank._ :I have to draw her back before she gets too lost in her thoughts.:_ "Shadow?"

"Hrm? Oh!" She blinked a few times, looked at the Forbidden Forest, and then looked back the way we had come. "Well, hang on…can we go back over to the others first? It's just… I feel we're too close for the moment."

"Oh, right – yeah, OK." I immediately started back across the bridge, going at a swift pace. _:The sooner we reach the other side, the sooner I can find out what these Wolfos things are…and why she seems so worried.:_ My stomach sank. _:If she's worried, and she's that good at fighting…then… Oh dear. This doesn't bode well for me, does it:_ When I reached the other end of the bridge, I took only a few steps forward onto the cliff, and then spun around to make sure that Shadow didn't try to evade me, or answering my questions. I didn't need to worry though – she seemed resigned to the fact that she had to tell me.

She brushed past me, and went to sit down with her back against the trunk of one of the tall trees that extended from the glade below. I went over and sat down opposite her, back to the sea, facing inland. "Give me a minute to – to clear my head?" she asked, studying the scuffed toes of her boots as she said it.

"OK. Only if you promise to tell me-"

"I will. I just need a minute to – to get it clear," she cut across me. I nodded, and looked around to see how the Koroks were getting on. It looked as though they were nearly done… My eyes fell on the basket that the blue potions had been carried in, and I remembered the ones I'd taken for Shadow. I took off my pack and dumped it on the floor in front of me so that I could rifle through it easily. The girl didn't so much as raise her eyes to see what I was doing.

"Shadow," I began, but was cut off almost immediately.

"Rufus, _please_!" she snarled, snapping her head up to look at me – when she saw me shrink back slightly, her eyebrows lifted, and she said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you… But, _please_, I _need_ time to _think_ this through. Wolfos are difficult creatures to explain."

"I'm sorry," I muttered, abashed, taking out the four bottles of potion Hollo had given to me to give to her. Darkly, I added, "I was just trying to give these too you." She looked up again, those large eyes of hers softening when she saw the four potions lined up before her. Without a word, she slipped off her own pack, and carefully packed the glass bottles away inside. Then, after a deep breath, she leant back against the tree trunk, and turned her gaze up to the bright blue sky.

"Wolfos… Where to start? They're ancient creatures – much, much older than Hylians or Sheikah, and driven by desires and needs more primal that any of our own." I could hear the slight tremor in her voice as she spoke, and realised with horror just how scared she must be of these 'Wolfos'. However, at the same time, her voice was slipping into the one she had used to tell me about the past of the Koroks – like a storyteller's voice – and I leant forwards to listen.

"They are descended from an even more ancient creature, which you may have heard of – that was called the wolf." I nodded, having at least heard of wolves in my lifetime. "Well then, you will know that wolves were feared much by many of the early peoples – the wolves would take sheep from flocks, cows from the fields – they would sometimes even take people, though this was rare. At least…it was rare until the wolves suddenly began to grow stronger.

"No one knows why it happened exactly – there's been a lot of speculation over the years, but no one knows anything for certain. The most likely theory hinges on dark magic being involved… Someone, somewhere, must have found a spell – a potion – something…a way to make these wolves stronger and more intelligent than any there had ever been before. Gods only know why they wanted to… A side effect of this was that wolves became more successful hunters. They could second-guess their prey, place ambushes, and the early peoples were hard-pushed to outwit them, let alone kill them.

"Not much has changed since then to now. As the wolves became more successful in their hunts, they also became larger, so that they were roughly the same seize as the average Hylian. Luckily, they could not breed very fast, so the numbers didn't grow too rapidly. Someone coined the name of 'Wolfos', and many brave people tried (and failed) to find a way to kill the creatures, until finally a successful method was found."

My head reeled, but I still managed another question. "And this method?"

"The best, and indeed, the safest way to kill a Wolfos, is from a distance. Arrows, throwing daggers, magic. If you get too close, they'll just overpower you, and…" she trailed off. "I think it's easy enough to guess what will happen."

"Yeah…" I felt slightly deflated, having heard this new information, and made to stand up so that I could go check on the Koroks. Shadow's hand on my arm stayed me though. She gulped audibly, then murmured,

"I'm sorry if it seems I snap at you, or if it seems I'm not listening at times… Dragmire isn't fully gone, and…well, all you need know is that you don't need to fear me." Then, she let go of my arm, stood up, and brushed past me to go and stand on the bridge, peering down at the churning sea below. I too stood up, wondering if I should go and stand with her._ :I'll leave her on her own for a bit I think. Poor Shadow, with that Ganondorf man constantly trying to hurt her…:_ I shook my head at the unfairness of it. _:I wonder if there's any way to help:_ I didn't get very far on this train of thought – Hollo hurried over, a smile on his face, and proclaimed,

"The nets are ready! We can take you across now, if you want?"

"Uh…I'm not sure, I'll just go and ask-" when I turned around, Shadow was already standing behind me. _:How _does_ she do that:_ "Hey."

"Hi," she returned my lame greeting. "I'm guessing you were about to come and ask me whether we could go?"

"Yup, that's right."

"Well, in that case, I believe we are…there are still a good few hours before sunset, so we'd best make the most of them." She sounded nervous, which in turn made me uneasy. She appeared to notice this, and touched my shoulder. "Don't worry," she told me in a reassuring voice, "just promise me this; if you see a Wolfos, call for me. Do not put yourself in the path of one of those creatures unless it is wholly unavoidable." I nodded, finding the promise an easy one to make. "OK. Good."

"So, we're ready to go?" Hollo asked. The other Koroks had gathered up their nets and were waiting patiently by the bridge for us.

"Yeah, we're ready to go," I told him, following him and the Sheikah girl across the bridge, flanked by the other Koroks and their nets.

* * *

"The best, and indeed the safest way to kill a Wolfos is from a distance. Arrows, throwing daggers, magic. If you get too close…they'll just overpower you and…" I stopped, allowing the lad to supply his own ending to the sentence, and hoping that it was not as terrible as mine own was. "I think it's easy enough to guess what will happen." Dragmire was kind enough to flash me a few images of the ancient days of the Hero of Time, during which Wolfos numbers had soared. I managed to prevent myself from gagging…but only just.

_/It's a pity I can't recreate the smell for you, pet. It was a most pungent aroma, and quite unlike anything I'd ever smelt before./_ Now that he was over the initial shock, he was quite content to return to his vile self.

_:Do you delight in trying to disgust me:_

_/I'm only trying to keep you informed pet…educating you, if you will… Of course, there are many others thing I would delight in educating you ab-/_

_:Stop right there or I'm going to let loose a few good old bolts of magic on you:_

_/And that's supposed to scare me, is it? If I recall rightly, your magic isn't particularly stro- argh! Ouch/_ he whimpered slightly, and then returned a bolt of his own that momentarily blinded me with pain._ /I underestimated you. It won't be done again. Now…now I have better things to do./_

_:Well, thank the Gods for that.:_ And he was gone – my mind was blissfully my own once more. _:Though for how long, only the Gods know…:_ All of this exchange had taken less than three seconds in the real world, and I quickly reached out to stop Rufus from standing up. I knew that he didn't trust me, and I knew that that could end up spelling disaster for him later on. _:The only way to gain his trust is to tell him the truth…or…at least…part of it.:_ I swallowed and chose my words carefully.

"I'm sorry if it seems I snap at you…or if it seems I'm not listening at times. Dragmire isn't…fully gone, and…well…all you need know is that you don't need to fear me." I relinquished my hold, and went over to the bridge, to allow him to mull my words over for a little bit. I leant on the rope handrail, and looked down at the waves crashing against the cliff face below. Even up this high, some of the spray still damped my hair and face, reminding me very much of home.

"The nets are ready! We can take you across now if you want." The little Korok called Hollo told Rufus, his voice carried to me on the new wind. I turned to go back, managing a slight smile when the Hylian voiced his uncertainty.

"Uh…I'm not sure, I'll just go and ask…" He turned around and looked surprised to see me already standing there. He shook it off, and greeted me with a lame, "Hey."

"Hi. I'm guessing you were about to come and ask me whether we could go?"

"Yup, that's right." I didn't even need to think about it.

"Well, in that case, I believe we are – there are still a good few hours before sunset, so we'd best make the most of them." :After all, it's said the Wolfos prefer to hunt at night.: My unease was making Rufus nervous, and I tried to comfort him by telling him, "Don't worry." Then, before I could stop myself, I also said, in a rather more familiar tone than I should have taken, "Just promise me this – if you see a Wolfos, call for me. Do not put yourself in the path of one of those creatures unless it is wholly unavoidable." He didn't hesitate to nod. "OK, good."

"So, we're ready to go?" Hollo asked. Rufus answered for the both of us,

"Yeah, we're ready to go." With that, I about-faced and started back across the bridge, Hylian and Koroks in tow.

When we had all reached the outcrop, we stopped. Rufus and I watched as the Koroks laid out two identical (and incredibly intricate) nets, woven out of the vines they'd bought with them. Ten Koroks stood by each net, and I guessed that they would be working in teams in order to carry the both of us across. _:I suppose it makes sense – after all, we're both a lot heavier than any Korok…:_

"If you'll just step into the nets, and then either sit or lie down – it's your choice – we can be off," Hollo instructed – he was at the smaller of the two nets, which was the one that the Hylian stepped onto. I took the other, noting that the tall Korok (Linder) was one of the ones standing next to it. "This will feel a bit weird, but don't worry, we won't drop you!" the small Korok assured the both of us. I just sank down into a sitting position, dragging my knees up to my chest, and curling myself up as tightly as I could. The less wind resistance I provided, the more comfortable my ride would be.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Rufus was copying my movements, and smiled at his mimicry. He looked rather worried as the Koroks moved out to grab onto trailing vines placed at even intervals around the nets. His face was a picture of tense fear when the leaves on the creatures' heads grew to enormous proportions, and began to catch the wind. Feeling the need to reassure him (and also to reassure myself), I caught his eye. "Good luck," I said. He just nodded and closed his eyes as he was lifted from the ground altogether.

My lift-off followed a few moments later, stomach lurching as the net tightened around me and the ground fell away. Glancing down, the ground disappeared almost immediately, to be replaced by sparkling waves many hundreds of feet down. Then I looked dead ahead, to see Rufus clinging onto his net for dear life, eyes squeezed tight shut. Beyond him was the Forbidden Forest, dark and ominous. _:And our only path to saving the Great Sea from disaster.:_

* * *

_Any old excuse for Dragmire/Shadow repartee is good in my book._ :Guilty grin:_ I just love the orange-haired freak an inordinate amount. The more airtime he receives, the more I love him. Must be something about evil guys and unnatural hair colours… Also, the Wolfos thing arrived out of the blue. But it was fun. Yes, it was. Don't you contradict me young reader! _Giggles._ Whoo boy, I've been away from the computer far too long it seems!_

_Sorry it's taken me so long. Exams just don't leave much time anything else. I'm also sorry that…well…sod all happened. However, the next chapter is the temple, which is going to be a lot of fun, as far as I'm concerned!_

_Soda_


	19. Together: Mutually Alone

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Yep, last chapter happened – not much happened in it though…bah… Dragmire and Shadow were both puzzled and shocked to find Wolfos roaming around in the Forbidden Forest. Rufus is still wary of his travelling companion, though is doing his best not to let it show. Shadow is so busy trying to keep Dragmire out that sticking to Sheikah ways is the furthest thing from her mind at the moment._

_Stuff in : single colons and italics : are thoughts, stuff in mere italics are visions or memories. If Dragmire comes into it, he will be in / slashes /. _

_Also, a warning. This is going to be ridiculously A/Uish. No complaints from those who didn't read the warning. I will just throw big cream pies at you…or something similarly menacing. Grr. Now, read!_

* * *

**_Together: Mutually alone_**

The swaying motion of the net as we crossed the channel to the Forbidden Forest made me feel slightly queasy. _:I hope it's not too far now.: _I groaned internally. However, I was too afraid to open my eyes to even check. In my mind, all I could see was myself falling from the net into the roiling sea hundreds of feet below, over, and over again… _:I hate heights: _I decided, when a particularly strong gust of wind made the net wobble even more.

"We're nearly there!" Hollo cried over the breeze, and we began to descend. "Brace yourself – we're going to take you down as low as we can. Get ready to jump, OK?" I gulped and tried to answer but no sound would come out. "Rufus, is that OK?"

"Y-yeah," I managed to stammer, entwining my fingers in the vine latticework that supported me. _:Oh Gods, I'm not looking forward to this.: _Something sharp and _warm_ nudged against my fingers. I opened my eyes in shock and came face-to-face with the weirdest creature I've ever seen! It was almost spherical in shape, with stubby legs at the bottom edged in sharp claws. A round mouth sat beneath squinting black eyes, sharp black teeth glinting in the sun. And, on top of its head was a propeller that looked a lot like the leaves on the Koroks' heads, only it was yellow and didn't look like any vegetation I'd ever seen. The creature stared back at me, eyes dull with stupidity, my blood _drip, drip, dripping_ from its clawed feet.

Noticing that my knuckles were bleeding where the creature had hit, a dawning sense of horror filled me: there were dozens of the _creatures_ flitting around us. Craning my head to look backwards, I saw that more of them were dive-bombing Shadow. As usual, she was a lot calmer and more collected than I was. She'd drawn out a small dagger and was fending off any that came too near. _:What a good idea: _I tried to unsheathe my sword, but it was too cumbersome to use inside the net. So, instead, I just grit my teeth and kicked out at any of the flying things that came too near.

"Hold on, we're going down!" My stomach lurched up into my throat as we suddenly fell through the air, only to regain flight a few seconds later. The Koroks began to peel away, letting go of the net ropes and hovering along next to me. They used their fists and the leaves on their heads in order to help defend against the monsters, me beating away any that got past them.

"Stupid – pea-hats!" one Korok grunted, punching the orange sphere that approached it straight in the mouth. A few of the black, triangular teeth fell out and the creature spiralled downwards, dazed. "Never – now when to – give – up!" the Korok continued, executing an impressive spin that knocked another two of the creatures out for the count. "Here we go Rufus. Jump!" the remaining Koroks let go and the net plummeted downwards. I looked down and saw the forest rushing up to greet me, branches outstretched.

And then I was among the foliage, grabbing blindly, hands full of twigs, eyes shut and heart hammering. I banged my shin against a tree trunk, and reached out when I felt a thick branch whizzing past me. Luckily, I caught it, and jerked to a sudden stop. Blindly, I reached up with my other arm, and managed to pull myself up onto the branch, and lie along it, arms and legs wrapped around the reassuringly sturdy wood. Exhaling the breath I'd been holding throughout the fall, I opened my eyes and looked around. _:The ground looks…oh Gods. Very far away. Very far away indeed. Oh, help: _My silent plea was answered almost immediately, when a streak of indigo plummeted past me, and landed gracefully on the forest floor far below.

"Rufus?" the Sheikah girl called softly, spinning a full circle looking for me. I loosened my deathly-tight grip on my branch, and drew her attention.

"I'm up here." She started, and looked upwards – after a second or so, she caught sight of me. I wasn't sure, considering how far away she was, but I thought I heard a quickly stifled laugh from her. However, I just ignored it, and brushed aside my pride for a second. "Reckon you could – I dunno – help me down, maybe?" A small breeze whistled through the canopy, and I desperately tightened my hold on the branch again.

"Of course. Hang on."

"Right, what else am I going to do?" I muttered, rolling my eyes. This time, I knew for certain that she laughed, and managed a grin myself, despite how far away the ground was. _:I suppose this _is_ quite funny, really.: _Shadow was studying the trees all around with practiced eyes, and walked over to one a few trees along from my one. There, she bent her knees slightly, and performed another one of her amazing somersaults (_:Just like the ones she did back on Dragon Roost when fighting that Rito:) _and alighted on a thick branch some twelve feet from the ground. After that, she easily jumped from branch to branch, until she was standing nonchalantly on a bough that stretched out towards mine.

"Hello," she greeted me, seeming to ignore my shocked (and awed) look. "I take it you don't like heights?" I shook my head, unable to talk again. "Well, I promise I won't let you fall, all right?" I nodded. "Right – now, we'll do this slowly…" She edged along her sturdy tree-limb, until she was easily able to reach out and touch me. "Just take your hands from the branch, and grab onto mine, OK?"

"Yeah, OK." The feelings of doubt I had about her were pushed to the back of my mind. _:She might be a little strange, but she's helping.: _Gradually, I peeled my right hand away from my branch, the pattern of the bark deeply imprinted on my palm. This meant my stronger left arm was still holding on, just in case I should fall and the girl didn't catch me. Just as gradually, I snaked my hand forwards toward the slender one the girl extended to me. Perhaps bored by my slowness, she stretched forwards and grabbed onto my sweaty hands, swiftly closing deceptively strong fingers around my own. Her hand was cool and dry, showing just how unconcerned she was by the huge drop we would suffer if we overbalanced and fell!

"There you are. Well done," she congratulated me warmly. "Now the other hand." I tried, I really did! I even managed to loosen my grip on the branch slightly, but I just couldn't…I couldn't bring myself to let go. She seemed to understand, and relinquished her hold on my hand.

"No, wait! Don't leave me here-"

"Shh," she shook her head, and stepped even closer to me. I could see her branch bending slightly at the end with her weight – it was much thinner than the huge limb I was clutching onto. Shadow noticed this as well, and quickly took a step back, which set the bough to rights again. "Look, I'm going to come onto your branch. But, before I can, do you think you can shuffle backwards for me? You don't have to let go – just use your arms and legs to crawl slowly back. Can you do that for me?" her voice reminded me sorely of the calming tones my mother used to employ whenever I'd wake up from a bad nightmare…

"Yeah, hang on." I felt slightly braver now, and managed to inch backwards as she'd instructed. As soon as she deemed there was enough room, she grabbed onto the blunt end of the branch (it must have been snapped off in a storm or something), and vaulted up to sit next to me. "Hi," I said breathlessly, lying flat on the branch, face resting on the rough wood.

"Hi." She patted me on the shoulder, looking around at the forest – it was eerily silent. "You _really_ don't like heights, do you?" she observed, but there was no malice in her voice. It was just an observation.

"I can cope with them to a certain distance…and then…"

"It's just to much?" she finished for me.

"Yeah."

"I know the feeling…"

"What? You're _not_ scared of heights, no way!" She shook her head.

"No, not heights. But I do have a ridiculous fear of spiders, if that helps?" She'd somehow managed to prise my hands away from the branch without my notice, and had shuffled along so that I could lean on her as I carefully rose into a sitting position, straddling the branch. I blinked, surprised at this information. _:I'd never have guessed – she seems too sensible and stuff. Not scared of anything…at least, the way she fights makes it seem that way.:_ I wondered what had bought on this suddenly open conversation, and knew I didn't really care.

"Heh, it does, sort of," I admitted. "I don't much like spiders either," I confided, and she laughed again – a real, proper laugh; I could feel it rippling through her body, and saw her eyes brighten in merriment. "Once they're beyond a certain size, they're just-"

"Plain scary," she ended for me a second time.

"Yeah." We caught each other's eyes for a moment, but she looked away, a flush appearing on her ear-tips, and the brightness in her eyes deadening. "Shall we make our way down?" I asked, needing to feel earth beneath my feet once again. She nodded, and stood up on the branch next to me.

"Sounds like a plan – now, do you reckon you can follow me all right, or do you want me to carry you?" she looked down, offering her hand to help me stand up. But, I froze again, sitting dead still and staring at the open palm. "Rufus?" I looked her in the eye again, and hesitated. _:I really, really want to get to the ground. But I don't want to fall! And she can't carry me, I'm too fat and heavy: _But I knew this wasn't true – she'd done it before at Dragon Roost, and she could take my weight on a rope… I just felt…embarrassed. Again, she easily guessed what I was thinking. "No need to worry, I can carry you easily on my back if you'd like?"

"Uh…yeah, that'd be good."

"All right then." She plonked back down into a sitting position, with her back to me. "Just put your arms round my neck, and hold on tight."

"OK," I squeaked, reaching out and grabbing onto her. At a wince from the Sheikah, I loosened my grip, careful not to end up strangling her or something. Then, she rose to her feet again, and reached down to pick up my legs in proper piggyback style. It was weird being given a piggy-back by a girl, considering the only person who'd ever given me one before was my father… Because all the other children on Outset were younger than me, I'd always been the one _giving_ the piggybacks. _:Aryll loved them. Always used to bug me to give her one – usually didn't let up until I did when she was smaller: _

All moping thoughts about Aryll were kicked out of my head when Shadow started to jump from tree to tree, going so fast that I was sure she was going to miss each time! I dug my fingers into her shoulders, no longer as worried about hurting her as I was about falling off. Finally, after a hellish plunge through the forest, her boots crunched on the dead leaves on the forest-floor. The jar of the landing shocked through me, and Shadow let go of my legs, allowing me to drop down onto the ground. I let go of her shoulders, and she straightened up, rubbing them with a sigh.

Now that I was on the ground, I was able to take a look around. The forest stretched in all directions, an unbroken monotony of thick tree trunks and bright shafts of light spearing the canopy to light up the undergrowth. There was no evidence of life anywhere (something I was pretty glad of when I thought back to the 'Wolfos' we'd spotted earlier). Shadow was doing the same as I, but I had the feeling she was seeing and hearing a lot more than I was. This was confirmed when she suddenly stopped, ears pricked, and stared upwards at the leaves overhead. As quietly as I could, I went over to stand next to her, and followed her line of vision. Seeing this, she raised her finger up to approximately where her lips must be; with her other arm, she pointed upwards.

I could see shadows through the translucent green layer above – a shrill call told me that there were Kargoroks above. Despite her warning, I whispered to the girl, "Gods! Do you think the Koroks are all right?"

"They'll be fine; probably back at the other island by now. We'd just better go quietly for now."

"OK," I nodded. "But where?" I added, half questioning myself. She just shrugged, and began to walk forwards. I moved to follow her, when a very familiar voice broke the silence.

"Rufus! Rufus, can you hear me lad?" I jumped, and fumbled around for the green stone Tetra had given me. "Rufus! Answer me lad!" his voice rose in volume, and I winced as it rang around the silent wood.

"Red, shh! Be quiet!" I hissed. Shadow had stopped again, and I bumped into her. "Huh, wha-?"

"Rufus, what's going on?" Red asked, having lowered his voice – however, the damage had already been done. His shouts had attracted unwanted attention. I dropped the stone as the huge, grey-furred lupine growled at us. It rolled over and over through the dead leaves, as we had come to stop on a slope, the green vibrant against the brown leaf-litter. The stone came to a stop in front of the Wolfos; I didn't dare move forwards to get it. And I didn't need Shadow's signal to tell me I had to stay still. "Rufus, are you all right? What's that…is that a…my Gods, get out of there, the both of you!"

The huge monster bent it's blunt muzzle to the stone and sniffed it cautiously, ears back against its skull. When it found no danger in the gem, it opened its mouth to reveal razor-sharp yellow teeth and a lolling red tongue. It bit down on the green stone, which shattered easily between its powerful jaws, cutting Red off mid-speech. Despite the situation, an inane thought still managed to cross my mind. _:Tetra is going to _kill_ me: _This action done, the creature raised its snout and scented the air, glowing golden eyes pinning the both of us down. I could see that Shadow's eyes were wide with shock and was amazed when she managed to grab her whip without hesitation. I couldn't even bear to contemplate moving, so sure was I that doing so would spur the creature on to attack.

_:Where did it even come from? And how come we didn't hear it coming – those paws are huge. We should have heard it: _Involuntarily, I took a minute step back; the Wolfos snarled, lips drawing away from its huge teeth, and took a lithe step forwards. The Sheikah girl in front of me tensed, eyes flicking up to the nearest branch (about teen feet, an easy jump for her) and back to the monster. "Rufus," she muttered, "when I yell, grab onto me round my neck, and hold on tight."

"Right," I whispered back, flinching as the Wolfos growled again, the sound rumbling deep in its furred throat. I waited, every muscle tense, hands slowly inching upwards, ready to grab onto the girl and make our escape. Above, the Kargoroks were calling to one another more fervently than before, and by the shadows cast on the floor, I could tell that the number of them was fast growing. _:Not good.: _A few leaves drifted down where one of the flying fiends landed on a branch high above, and this distracted the Wolfos for a second.

Apparently, a second was all that Shadow needed. "Now," she ordered at normal volume. Forgetting posterity I did as she'd instructed, and we alighted on the branch a moment later. She didn't stop there though – it was only after five more successive jumps that she stopped, and let me climb off. To my surprise (and amusement), we were right back on the branch we'd started on. She inhaled deeply, and looked upwards to see whether we were about to be assailed from above. Luckily, we'd left both Kargoroks and the Wolfos behind. Not missing a beat, she delved into her pack, and sighed as she drew out a green stone almost identical to the one that Tetra had given me.

"…where did you get that?" I asked, still whispering, just in case.

"Red gave it to me," she answered shortly, turning it over in her hands. "Now, I wonder how it works…"

"Shadow? Are you there, Sheikah? Are you all right; is Rufus all right?" Red's voice erupted from the stone, and he was obviously highly agitated. At least he was keeping his voice down this time! Shadow looked up at me, and then lifted the stone towards her face.

"Yeah, we're all right – the other stone was broken though."

"Oh…blast. I'll have to see if I can do something about that. Can't afford to lose touch with you two after all." The girl just made a sound of agreement in the back of her throat, and reached out without needing to think about it, in order to steady me when I wobbled slightly on the branch. "Now, please tell me I was imagining things, and that I did not just come face to face with a…a…" he was unable to even say the word.

"A Wolfos?" I interjected, leaning forwards a bit to make sure that I'd be heard. Red was silent. "I'm afraid it was."

"Oh…oh dear," Red said. Shadow, on the ball as always, jumped in.

"Never mind that. They can't climb too well, so Rufus and I will stick to the trees until we're sure the ground is safe again. What matters is what we do now; do you have any suggestions on finding the Koroks?" I groaned internally at the idea of traversing the trees for any extended period of time.

"Well…if memory serves…the forest wasn't always a dark place. The Koroks did inhabit the island for a short time after the floods – I'm willing to bet that their old dwellings will still be there. I know its not much, but they'll be deep in the forest; you might be able to find help there." Shadow looked perplexed.

"Help? What sort of help?"

"The fairies," I muttered, and she looked sharply at me. "Uh…I read somewhere that they only live in ancient forest…and well, the Kokiri used to have fairies. So, you know, it's possible."

"Precisely," Red agreed, making the nervous knot in my stomach disappear. _:Phew. Was scared I was gonna make a fool of myself there: _

"Isn't that a bit of a long shot?" the girl asked.

"Have you any other ideas?" the King of Red Lions demanded, rather defensively, I thought. She mulled it over for a few seconds, and then answered meekly,

"No, I haven't."

"In that case, Red, which way do you think we should head?" I asked, taking the stone when Shadow offered it to me. He hmmed to himself, and I waited expectantly.

"I can't offer you a definite direction I'm afraid – but, I would say that you should follow the older trees inland. The further you go, the older the forest will be. Shadow, you know what to look for, don't you?"

"Aye," she replied, reaching out to take the stone back. Before Red went again, she added a warning, "Next time you want to speak with us, please be quiet?"

"Of course," Red agreed pleasantly, and the green stone ceased glowing altogether. She put it back into her bag, and then looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Well," she breathed, "I'm afraid it looks like we might have to be up here for a while."

"Yeah," I nodded, not daring to look down for fear of the vertigo taking over completely. She tilted her head to one side, and then her expression softened.

"Look, I know this is going to be hard, but we need to move quickly." I nodded. "And I can't carry you all the time."

"I know."

"So…we need to find a way for you to get over your fear of heights."

"Sounds…ominous…" I quipped, forcing myself to ignore the huge drop between the ground and us. Employing humour was the easiest way I could find of pushing the image of myself tumbling through the air from my mind. She chuckled slightly, and slouched so that our heads were on a level.

"What if I could make a spell that would make it impossible for you to fall?" she asked. I blinked.

"Well, that would be – that would be wonderful!"

"Good. I've already done it. Now, let's go," she jumped to her feet, and pulled me up as well. The air seemed to close around me as I wobbled, and the breeze that rippled through the trees didn't touch me. I took a tentative step forwards, encouraged by the warm, safe blanket of air wrapped around me. Shadow turned around, and looked around for the best (and easiest) way to go. I let her decide, still a little afraid of how high up we are, but not as afraid as I had been before. _:I don't know what she's done…but I'm glad she's done it.: _

* * *

It was only a few minutes into our flight that we began to attract some unwanted attention. Peahats descended from what seemed like nowhere upon us – I wondered where they'd been hiding, because I hadn't seen nor heard anything of the disgusting little creatures before we'd taken to the air. Without really needing to think about it, I had a dagger in my hands, and was fending the little beasts off. Luckily, what with the swaying motion of the net and the speed at which we were travelling, most of the Peahats found it quite difficult to even get close.

Ahead, I saw one of them managed to get close enough to bump Rufus – he jumped slightly, and I could see a bright red graze on his knuckles. He looked over his shoulder, but I was distracted when one of Peahats hovering around my net came a little too close for comfort. I slashed it away: when I looked back forwards, Rufus had begun to descend, and I saw the Koroks holding his net begin to peel off. Those that had let go of the vines took to protecting the Hylian from the attacking monsters, and I felt my worry for him dissipate.

Then, not two seconds after that, the rest of the Koroks let go, and I saw Rufus' green-clad shape plummet gracelessly downwards. I inhaled and held my breath, knowing that I too would soon be making that plummet to the earth… _:I just hope he manages to land all right – we're still rather high up…from a Hylian point of view…: _With a slight jolt, I remembered with sickening clarity the Rito back on Dragon Roost island, who had fallen on the journey to the Cavern…

_I had stepped directly into a pool of a thick, gloopy liquid. I knew that, had I a mirror with me, I would be able to see that the liquid was almost the same colour as my eyes… Feathers swam in the sticky substance, and I hurriedly stepped back, leaving bloody footprints on the otherwise clean ground. I could just see the balance-board, which seemed to have survived the impact with the ground pretty well, lying atop two very still forms._

I shivered slightly, and I wasn't sure whether it was from the memory, or the cool wind that hurried us through the air. _:All that blood…crumpled and broken…Gods… What if Rufus doesn't manage to catch himself in time? What if he-: _

I wasn't allowed much more time to ponder this, as I too was dumped into the forest.

Just as I usually did whenever I executed a jump over a large distance, I tucked myself into myself, legs against my chest, arms around my legs, and when I was about ten feet from the ground, I stretched out once more, legs braced for impact. The forest floor was covered in a springy layer of moss and dead-leaves, which took some of the shock out of my landing, meaning that I was able to stand up straight again almost immediately.

Looking around, I felt my worry for Rufus building up again. _:Where is he: _Forgetting for a moment the presence of all those Wolfos (_:and Gods only know what else lurks in this forest:), _I called for the Hylian. "Rufus?" I span in a slow circle as well, just in case I might have missed him. A patch of green caught my eye, for a split-second making me believe that the lad had indeed fallen to his death; but it was only a pile of leaves.

"I'm up here," his voice filtered down from above, sounding shaken, but otherwise all right. I looked upwards, and managed to catch sight of him quite quickly. I'll admit, he did look quite comical, lying full-length along a thick, sturdy bough, limbs wrapped around it and fingers digging into the bark as though he dared not let go. He looked like a rabbit caught in the glare of torchlight, and I had to suppress the laughter that threatened to bubble over my lips. For some reason, the absence of Dragmire from my mind had shoved Valoo's advice right into the forefront of my thoughts. "_I would just like to say that you should try to continue allowing your feelings more free reign." _

_:Well…maybe for a little while…: _I decided, then remembering the advice of the Great Deku Tree as well.

Above, a slight breeze shook the branches, and I saw Rufus tighten his hold on his branch. "Reckon you could, I dunno, help me down maybe?" he asked in a slightly strangled voice. I found it amazing that after all he'd been through, that he was so afraid of heights…however, it was obvious he wasn't going to move if I didn't help him, so I agreed to help immediately,

"Of course: hang on!" I looked around for a good path up to where he was. His muttered reply made me laugh once more,

"Right, what else am I going to do?" Finally, I settled on a strong-looking branch about twelve or thirteen feet up – a nice easy jump anyway. I didn't particularly feel in the mood to try and push myself on to the twenty or so feet up that the next lowest branch was. Quickly, knowing that it would probably be a good idea to get Rufus back to the ground as quickly as possible, I leapt to this branch. After a pause to check my way up, I hurried up through the trees, until I was on a limb that stretched out to almost meet the one that Rufus was clinging to.

"Hello," I said, guessing, "I take it you don't like heights." He shook his head. "Well I promise I won't let you fall, all right?" He nodded. _:Poor boy, he looks terrified.: _Carefully, I edged along my own branch so that I could reach out and help him. "Right. Now, we'll do this slowly… Just take your hands from the branch, and grab onto mine OK?" I held my arms out, cautiously shuffling my feet so that I was more stable.

"Yeah OK." Rufus began to peel one of hands away from the wood, shivering a little as he did so – this hand (the right) he reached out to me with, going so slowly that he hardly seemed to be moving at all. _:Can't waste time.: _I leant forwards a little more and grabbed his shaking hand – it was cool and clammy, telling me even more certainly than his face did that he was terrified.

"There you are, well done. Now try the other hand." I saw him struggle with himself; he even managed to unclench his fingers for a few seconds, and then froze completely. I let go and he quickly snatched the hand I relinquished and wrapped it back around the branch. Desperately, he protested,

"No, wait, don't leave me here!" I was appalled that he thought I would! _:Mind you, after all that's happened, are you surprised: _I moved forwards a little more, attempting to shush him in a soothing manner. The bough I was on bent worryingly at the end, and I jumped back as I heard tiny cracks beneath me. Still trying to calm and reassure him, I quickly formulated a plan. "Look, I'm going to come onto your branch…but, before I can, do you think you can shuffle backwards for me. You don't have to let go, just use your arms and legs to crawl slowly back," I instructed. "Can you do that for me?"

I saw him un-tense slightly, and he managed to do as I asked. ("Yeah, hang on.") When he'd left me enough room to get onto the branch alongside him, I climbed up and sat down next to him. He greeted me rather meekly, voice muffled as he spoke into the wood. "Hi."

"Hi. You _really_ don't like heights, do you?" I looked around at the forest, which for the first time I realised was completely silent. _:And that can't be good.: _My mind too was completely silent – it was as though Dragmire had never been there in the first place. Even the horrible feeling of his presence in my mind had al but gone…yet… _:It feels…lonely…without him.: _I shook myself mentally, feeling stupid for even _thinking_ something like that. _:It must be some sort of spell or side-effect he's left behind: _Well, no matter. My mind was my own again. And, I had a feeling that as long as I was here, in this forest, it would remain so…

"I can cope with them to a certain distance…and then…" the Hylian trailed off, sounding a little ashamed of himself. I immediately finished the sentence, able to empathise,

"It's just too much?"

"Yeah," he agreed. Before I could stop myself, I said,

"I know the feeling…" He spluttered, (I wondered where on earth this conversation had come from), and said incredulously,

"What? You're _not_ scared of heights – no way!" I shook my head, and searched around for something that sound suitably silly to be scared of. I couldn't exactly say I was terrified of Wolfos or monsters – that would be far too normal…

"No, not heights." I managed to get a hold on his hands whilst he was busy paying attention to what I was saying. As I did so, a sudden idea sparked in my mind, along with the knowledge that what I said might help the Hylian trust me a little more. "But I do have a ridiculous fear of spiders, if that helps?" He looked surprised, and then gave a little half-grin.

"Heh, it does sort of. I don't much like spiders either!" I laughed at this, relieved that he at least trusted me enough to admit that little foible. I was also laughing because I just _felt_ like it. The laughter felt easy, natural. _:Who'd ever have thought you could have a normal conversation with a Hylian, of all things: _"Once they're beyond a certain size, they're just…"

"Plain scary," I finished his sentence again.

"Yeah." All the laughter had died away now, and I felt slightly awkward, still holding onto Rufus' hands in order to steady him. Flushing, I looked away through the branches and the leaves, dropping his hands as casually as I could. "Shall we make our way down?" the lad prompted. I agreed, nodding my head, and stood up. A brief glance out of the corner of my eye told me that there was no way he'd get to the ground alone. And, despite his slight reserves of puppy-fat, I'd already carried him once before – I could probably cope carrying him to the ground at least…

"Sounds like a plan," I said, back to business. "No, do you reckon you can follow me all right…or do you want me to carry you?" I offered, even though it would probably feel uncomfortable for the both of us. All that really mattered now was time. I held out my hand for him to take. When he didn't move, I called his name. "Rufus?" He looked at me, eyes full of all that doubt again. _:Oh Gods, not _now. _Panic later.: _"No need to worry. I can carry you easily on my back if you'd like?" He gulped and whispered his answer.

"Uh, yeah, that's be good." At that, I sat back down again, straddling the branch and with my back facing the lad.

"All right then." I tilted my head so that I could look back over my shoulder at him. "Just put your arms round my neck, and hold on tight." He did as I said, fingers digging deeply into my shoulders – I winced slightly, and he loosened his hold…though not by much. As I stood up again, I could feel his desperate fingers beginning to pull my facemask a little askew, and hoped that he wouldn't end up pulling the thing off altogether! _:That would just be too embarrassing for words: _I thought, reaching down to pick up Rufus' legs. Thankfully, when I did this, he let-up on his hold around my neck a little more still. Which meant I could breathe properly again – a small mercy!

Once I had a proper hold on my charge, I went back down the way I had come up, going at a brisk pace, though not as fast as I had on the way up. As soon as I made my first jump, Rufus dug his fingers in again, and let out a small squeak of fright. I winced, but bore it – it would only be for a little while after all. _:I bet I have bruises from this.: _Soon, we were on the ground again, and I deposited Rufus on the ground. Exhaling the breath I had held for most of the way down (I always did that when I jumped. Artemis always used to tell me off for the habit, but I'd never bee able to break it) and rubbed my shoulders, which were throbbing slightly.

The beastly squawk of a Kargorok overhead made me forget my shoulders. I snapped my head upwards, and was able to see a total of eight of the birds flying overhead, shadows rippling across the leaves. Rufus shuffled over to me and tried to see what I was looking at. Trying to make sure that we weren't heard, I stemmed his unasked question by putting one finger in front of my lips, and using my other hand to show him what I was looking at. A particularly loud screech filtered down and the Hylian desperately murmured,

"Gods! Do you think the Koroks are all right?" I wasn't sure, one way or the other, but I reassured him anyway.

"They'll be fine: probably back at the other island by now. We'd just better go quietly for now."

"OK…but where?" That was a very good question, and I shrugged. Picking a direction that looked as though it might be promising I started forwards. Rufus fell in step with me.

"Rufus! Rufus, can you hear me lad?" Red's voice erupted into the still forest, nearly deafening after the oppressive quietness. "Rufus! Answer me lad!" his voice rose in panic – just at the same time, my panic levels suddenly jumped off the scale altogether. Sheikah training went out of the window when a living nightmare appeared out of the shadowy undergrowth. Behind me, the Hylian was trying to quiet Red, and as he wasn't paying attention, he bumped right into me.

"Huh, wha-?" His cut-off question bought me back to my senses. _:You're a Sheikah warrior – now get a grip! You have to protect Rufus, and you can't do that if you're quaking like some first year warrior-in-training, can you? No. So get over it and get on with it.: _I clenched my fists, fingers as naked as any first-year's. Inane as the thought was, it crossed my mind anyway. _:As soon as I get the time, I'm putting those bandages back around my fingers. I think I'm ready for them now.: _

"Rufus what's going on?" the King of Red Lions asked, now whispering. It was pointless, but I felt grateful for it anyway. His loud voice had just been far too out of place in this wood. There was a small thud, and I saw the green stone through which the talking boat could summon us, rolling away. It turned over and over, going down the incline to the bottom of the slope where the immense Wolfos stood, red tongue lolling out. Sharp yellow teeth glinted in the dappled light. "Rufus, are you all right? What's that…?" Red caught sight of the monster at the same time it caught sight of the stone. "Is that a…my Gods, get out of there, both of you!" he bellowed, voice cracking. I flinched at the loud noise, but signalled for Rufus to stay as still as he could.

_:If I could just have a moment – one moment when it wasn't paying attention. That would be enough…: _Red continued to babble on, and the Wolfos nudged the green gem over with its square snout, ears back against its skull as it scented the new, strange object. Then, it bent down and took the stone between its teeth, shattering it easily. Disgusted to find that it wasn't food, the creature shook its head, nudging the remaining shards away. Then, it stood erect once more, ears up and swivelling to catch sound, nose ruffling as it smelled the air. No doubt, it had our scent now, and found it fascinating. _:New food: _I thought glumly.

Great blazing eyes, the pupils slits that dilated as it caught sight of us. Threatened, my hand moved of its own accord to my whip, and hovered. When both ears had flicked backwards, I grabbed onto my weapon, but the ears were back towards us before I could unclip it. In all the reams of text I had learnt about monsters, I remembered vividly that Wolfos hearing was much, much better than its eyesight, which was about as good as a Hylian's. Behind me, Rufus took a tiny step backwards, leaves rustling and crackling under his feet. Immediately, the Wolfos growled and padded forwards a short way. Thankfully, a sound directly behind the creature caught its attention, and both ears flicked backwards. I took this opportunity to quickly whisper, "Rufus, when I yell, grab onto me round my neck, and hold on tight." The Wolfos returned its attention to us, and snarled again when Rufus answered,

"Right." I stood deadly still, and could barely hear Rufus breathing behind me. _:Impressive: _I thought, knowing that he must be trying desperately hard to stay that quiet. I felt him moving slowly, slowly, ready to grab onto me. The Wolfos continued to study us, snout quivering as it sniffed the air, and small yips escaping its throat every so often. _:Come on: _I prayed for a distraction, and was thankfully given one. High above, one of the Kargoroks above must have either landed or bumped into one of the trees, because a whole bunch of leaves tumbled to the ground. They crashed onto the forest floor in a great rustling, and the Wolfos was so sidetracked that it even turned its head away from us. This was all I had asked for.

"Now!" I said, voice back at normal volume. It sounded like a shout though, echoing as it did around the many tree trunks. Rufus literally threw his arms around my neck, hooking his legs over the arms I reached down, and I jumped for the nearest branch. My breath caught in my throat as the Wolfos howled, and I saw it jump up just in the field of my vision. It couldn't get very high – six feet at most. But I didn't feel safe, and carried on, until, by some weird twist of fate, we ended up on the very same branch where this had all started. I deposited the lad and then rummaged through my bag to find my own green stone, glad that Marie had given it back to me.

"Where did you get that?" Rufus asked, mercifully still whispering. I think a loud voice then would have been enough to finish off my frayed nerves completely.

"Red gave it to me," I replied, trying to figure out how I could get into contact with Red. There was no catch or visible button to press on the smooth surface. I turned it over to look at the other side, but the green stone was just as smooth as glass. "Now, I wonder how it works…" I said to myself, as though that might help prompt an idea in my mind. Luckily, Red hailed me before I had a chance to really get frustrated with the thing.

"Shadow? Are you there, Sheikah? Are you all right; is Rufus all right?" his voice was still low, and the edge of panic more acute than ever. I wondered if he'd seen inside the Wolfos' mouth before it had… I cut that thought off before I could finish it. _:Just think what it would do if it got hold of you or the Hylian.: _I looked up at Rufus and lifted the stone closer to my face so that I could talk quietly.

"Yeah we're all right. The other stone was broken though."

"Oh…" he said. "Blast," he added, almost as an afterthought. "I'll have to see if I can do something about that. Can't afford to lose touch with you two after all." He attempted to sound jovial, but failed miserably. I made a sound of agreement in the back of my throat as I heard movement below. Luckily, it was no more than the wind rustling through the leaves. Rufus wobbled slightly, and I reached out a hand to help him steady himself. "Now, please tell me I was imagining things, and that I did not just come face to face with a…a…"

"A Wolfos?" Rufus finished for him, leaning forwards a little; wrapping the fingers of his hand around the arm I was steadying him with. Thankfully, he did not dig them in as he had done earlier. "I'm afraid it was." Red spluttered, not quite sure what to make of things,

"Oh…oh dear…" However, having glanced up, I could see that the glow of the sun was lessening – it would be only a couple more hours at most before the sun set. We needed to get moving. _:I don't fancy being out in the open at night here.: _Brusquely, I butted in before either of the other two could say anything else.

"Never mind that. They can't climb too well, so Rufus and I will stick to the trees until we're sure the ground is safe again…what matters is what we do now. Do you have any suggestions on finding the Koroks?" The Hylian's fingers clenched momentarily, and I felt sympathy for him. This wasn't exactly the best situation for us to be in; doubly so due to his fears. Red had managed to collect himself on the other end, and began in a business-like tone.

"Well, if memory serves…the forest wasn't always a dark place." This idea was shocking, but looking around at all the unchecked growth and vibrant colours, I could see that the island could once have been good. "The Koroks did inhabit the island for a short time after the floods – I'm willing to bet their old dwellings will still be there. I know its not much, but they'll be deep in the forest; you might be able to find help there." I frowned, no understanding what the King of Red Lions was getting at.

"Help? What sort of help?" Rufus muttered,

"The fairies." Noticing my questioning look, he continued shyly. "Uh, I read somewhere that they only live in ancient forest…and well…the Kokiri used to have fairies…so, you know…it's possible." I regarded the Hylian with a great surge of new respect.

"Precisely," Red said through the stone. Yet, I wasn't completely convinced.

"Isn't that a bit of a long shot?" I asked, looking pointedly at the Hylian. Red was the one who answered though, and in rather a prickly way, I thought.

"Have you any other ideas?" I thought, wracking my brain for some scrap of information about this place that could be useful. But, there was nothing.

"No, I haven't," I admitted quietly. Rufus had let go of my arm, and held his hand out to accept the stone from me.

"In that case, Red…which way do you think we should head?"

"I can't offer you any definite direction I'm afraid…but I would say that you should follow the older trees inland," the King of Red Lions decided, after much hmming and haaing. "The further you go, the older the forest will be. Shadow, you know what to look for – don't you?" I nodded, taking the stone back from the lad,

"Aye." Then, knowing what trouble we could get into if I didn't make sure Red was quiet, I also said, "Next time you want to speak with us, please be quiet?" He agreed readily, and then went – I put the stone back into my bag, and looked over at Rufus with an eyebrow quirked. He looked a little apprehensive, but quickly covered it. I wondered whether I should ask him more about what else he had read about the fairies…but decided that could wait. "Well, I'm afraid it looks like we might have to be up here for a while," I said, knowing I was stating the obvious. He nodded, careful not to look downwards as he tilted his head.

"Yeah." My admiration for him increased further, and I tried to think of a way to help him. However, I knew there was no way that I could carry him all the way through the forest, _:especially if he insists on digging his fingernails so hard into my shoulders: _

"Look…I know this is going to be hard, but we need to move quickly. And I can't carry you all the time."

"I know," he nodded. I was still searching for an idea, and made idle chatter to pass the time. I said my thoughts aloud; thinking aloud had always helped me come up with ideas in the past…maybe it would help again.

"So…we need to find a way for you to get over your fear of heights."

"Sounds…ominous…" he joked, and I laughed a little at his attempted bravado. _:So brave – courageous even. No wonder he's been chosen…: _I slouched slightly so that I could look him in the eye. The idea that had come into my mind was ideal…but not ideal, at the same time. It would take some degree of pretence on my part.

"What if I could make a spell that would make it impossible for you to fall?" I said, internally muttering a spell-mantra. The breezes that brushed past us warmed slightly, wrapping the both of us in a blanket of comforting warm air.

"Well, that would be…that would be wonderful!" he spluttered – guilt threatened to break me, but I dismissed it. This white lie would instil in him a confidence that nothing else would give him. And that would make our journey faster.

"Good, I've already done it. Now…let's go." I got to my feet, and helped him to his. I willed the warm pocket of air to press closer, stilling the rest of the atmosphere all around. It was a simple enough spell – and now that it was made, it would linger for an hour or so. Hopefully, we'd be a good deal further on our journey by then (_:and on the ground as well too, Gods willing.:_) I allowed Rufus to enjoy the falsified feeling of safety as I looked for the best path through the trees. I had to make it easy enough for him, without making it too obvious that I was holding us back.

* * *

…Time passed…the sun fell low to the horizon, and the world beneath the leaves dimmed. Things were beginning to fall into blue/grey shadows, the trees looking menacing as they thrust upwards from the distant ground. The Kargoroks had swooped away to roost for the night, leaving the sky above to the Peahats, who would also soon be settling down to rest for the dark hours. Briefly, a shaft of sunlight fell through the canopy, dazzling the Hylian, causing him to slip. Having trusted the spell and the idle chat of the past two hours, he looked shocked as he tumbled, and was grabbed only at the last second.

* * *

Rufus was frozen in place, having finally realised that my 'spell' was merely a placebo. I wasn't nearly good enough with my magic to conjure a spell to stop him falling – even if I was, the concentration needed to maintain such a spell would have made it impossible to go on anyway. I'd supplied him with a simple warming spell to make him feel more comfortable…that was all. The Hylian had perhaps trusted in the spell a little too much, as he had attempted to copy one of my jumps between the trees, rather than waiting for me to collect him. This had resulted in his nearly plummeting over forty feet down…it was only pure luck that I turned around when I did! _:Had I not…I dread to think…:_

I looked down at the lad, seeing that all the fear had flooded back into him, alongside veiled anger and resentment. Carefully, I settled down next to him, staring blankly at the tree trunk above his head. The guilt had been building up inside me ever since I'd started the lie; he'd been so trusting, ready to follow me and believe all that I said. I was supposed to be guarding him…but I didn't want to deceive him to do it! "Sorry," I managed to whisper.

"You lied," he said back, tone accusative. I almost physically flinched at the coldness in his voice.

"I know…we…we had to get moving," I said, trying to justify my actions to myself as well as him. "Sorry," I repeated, feeling wretched. He inhaled deeply and managed to lift his head to look up at me.

"It's all right," he murmured gently. "I suppose it worked, didn't it?" We both laughed awkwardly, the sound strange in the still forest. When the eerie echoes had died away, he ventured, hopefully, "Maybe we can try travelling on the ground again?"

"Maybe," I agreed, albeit hesitantly. I didn't want it to seem as though I would try and mislead him again. "Look…what if I go down and scout around? If it's safe, I'll come back and we'll go down together. Sound good?"

"Sound _great_…I just hope it _is_ safe," he said emphatically, dropping his head and closing his eyes again. I nodded, and promised,

"I'll be quick." Then, I bounded from the tree limb, going as fast as I could in the growing gloom. My eyes adjusted quickly to the murk lower down, and the world slid into shades of grey and black. There was no movement other than that of the leaves – but I wasn't going to take any chances. I paused on a low branch, not much over eight feet up, and searched out with my mind for anything nearby – dangerous or friendly… The pictures that my senses gave back to me were both worrying and confusing.

Though I could see nothing moving, hear nothing breathing, hear no thudding hearts, smell no strong scents, or indeed feel the hairs prickling on the back of my neck, as they always did when something came near…even though my finely tuned senses told me nothing…

My magic told me that there were dozens of creatures surrounding me – above, below, all around. _:But why can I only find them with magic:_ Perplexed, I reached out for the only other magic I knew of. _:Dragmire! If this is you playing tricks, I'll-: _But I knew it couldn't be him. I moved my hand, thinking to get out the stone and hail Red. I stopped, heart in my mouth, as a terrible thought came into my head. _:Rufus:_ These invisible presences… I had to see that he was safe.

Looking up, I couldn't catch sight of the branch that I'd left him on through the thick leaves. Cursing, I sped upwards, feet barely touching the bark of one branch before I'd already leapt for the next. I my haste, I nearly missed a jump completely, and had to fling my right arm outwards to catch myself and swing up. Then, it was more jumping, springing like a crazed grasshopper, back to the place where I had left the boy I was to protect.

And Rufus was not there. His green hat lay over the branch, the pointed end dangling downwards with the pull of gravity. I called for him, but he didn't answer. I went back to the ground, sick to the stomach as I feared he'd fallen to his death without me there to catch him. There was nothing – not a disturbed leaf – no a cracked twig – nothing to tell me where he'd gone. The mysterious presences were far away now, and dwindling fast.

Desperately, feeling like I was clutching at straws, I bounded after them, trying to keep them in my 'sights' as it were. "Oh Gods," I hissed to myself as I hurried along, making a lot more noise than I normally would have done in my panic. But, whatever they were, they were fast – too fast even for a Sheikah! I put on a burst of speed, recalling many races I'd had back on Opacus Isle. I _knew_ I was fast, even by my people's standards. These things were…phenomenal.

A tree root, unseen, was my undoing. I caught my foot in it (the same foot I had injured on Dragon Roost). With a hastily stifled cry, I crashed to the floor, sliding through the leaf-litter and rolling over and over until I came to rest against the base of a particularly ancient-looking tree. Leaves and twigs were in my hair, and dirt was in my mouth – my facemask had unravelled and lay as a white gash on the black ground.

They were gone.

* * *

_Dun, dun, dun! _

_OMG, I used the word 'foible'. Is that not just the best word ever? Foible. A shortcoming or fault. A foible. It just sounds so funny when you say it. Foy-bull. Fantastic._

_Anyway. Yes. That was a chapter. Whee! Review and feed me!_

_Soda_

_PS: This in honour of Lossemare, who finished her exams, and despite panicking, has told me she did pretty well! Well-done m'dear! (Or should that be 'Miss. Scary nasty bug-eyed monster evil thing'?)_ :Grins:


	20. Together: Forgotten changes

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter, Shadow let go a little more, and Rufus began to trust her – at least, until he discovered her little trick with the spell. However, things seemed to be going well, despite the Wolfos and having to go through the trees. But, Rufus has disappeared and our adventurers have been split up in this great, terrible forest. And there are things more ancient, and more horrifying than the Wolfos roaming these woods._

_Extremely A/U._

_Stuff in : single colons and italics : are thoughts, stuff in mere italics are visions or memories. If Dragmire comes into it, he will be in / slashes /._

* * *

_**Together: Forgotten changes **_

I watched Shadow as she descended out of sight, too grateful for her help so far to even bother being angry with her. We had managed to travel for a couple of hours inland before I discovered that the spell wasn't real after all… So, in all, she'd just helped us carry on. And, it had been interesting to move through the trees without always thinking about the drop down to the ground._ :It was quite nice not being scared, for once:_ I thought, with a small smile. I would never have said it out loud, but the very fact that the Sheikah girl wasn't infallible made me a lot more comfortable. It was nice to know other people messed up as well, I suppose.

I sighed with apprehension as I finally lost sight of the indigo-clad girl, and wondered how long it would be before she got back. It was lonely up in the branches without her, and I closed my eyes as a wave of nausea overcame me. Without her to distract me, the full force of the vertigo was returning again. Groaning, I told myself that I was being stupid. _:You managed to go through the trees for two hours without being scared. So why should you be scared now, stupid? Get over it and get a grip.: _I knew I really should, but I just couldn't. My fear was just so…well…I suppose it was so irrational, that it couldn't really be rationalised – if that makes any sense?

Night was getting ready to descend. Looking up, I could see the red circle of the sun sinking out of sight beyond the horizon. My stomach rumbled, protesting that it was getting near to dinnertime. It'd been a long time since I'd had three meals in one day, and it'd probably be a long time before I did again. However, that didn't mean I wasn't hungry. Slowly, I managed to hoist myself into a sitting position, using the main trunk of the tree as a support to lean against. Then, I began to rummage through my backpack, and came out with a slightly squashed, stale piece of bread. Experimentally, I tapped the bread against the branch on which I sat – it let out a resounding tap, and I discarded it back into my bag, disgusted.

Next, I took out some of the fruit I had gathered earlier that day; a particularly juicy-looking red apple appealed to me. Gleefully, I rubbed it on the front of my (filthy) tunic, and bit into it. Chewing thoughtfully, I looked up, and nearly choked on my bite.

Right in front of me, balancing on one leg and grinning, was a young boy, who looked about the same age as Aryll. His hair was bright red, and he wore a tunic that looked a lot like my one did. I swallowed my half-chewed bite of apple, and opened my mouth to ask him a question. Before I could, he had put a finger to his lips, and winked mischievously. There was rustling in the branches above; looking up, I could see another three children, all sporting the same green tunics. There were two boys, and one girl – all three had the same bright red hair and friendly faces. The girl waved, giggling, and I waved back.

The three dropped down on the branch in front of me, and silently greeted the first boy. Curious, I put my half-eaten apple back in my bag, and leant forwards – my hat slipped off, but I ignored it for the moment. The four children turned as one to look at me, the first boy's smile so wide that his eyes had been reduced to mere slits. He held out his hand and beckoned me, starting towards the end of the branch – the other three were already on a branch across the way from us, waiting patiently. I looked at the boy, and shook my head, paralysed with silent fear.

His smile fell a little, but then returned full-force after he saw me glance fearfully downwards. He seemed to understand, and walked towards me. He reached out his small, dirt-stained hand, and nodded, saying that I should take it. The strange red-haired boy, though younger than me, gave me the impression that he was trustworthy and knew what he was doing. I took the hand he offered, and immediately, all my worries left my mind. Even without saying anything, the boy communicated that he would keep me safe, and not let me fall – I trusted him on that – more than I had Shadow, even.

Just before we left, I reached down and scooped up my bag, chucking it over my shoulder. For a split second, I felt that there was something I was forgetting…but the feeling passed. The boy tugged on my hand – I smiled at him, and then followed him to where the other children stood. We stepped down from my branch onto theirs, the natural growths making perfect stepping-stones through the canopy. The girl moved to walk on my other side, also holding my hand and grinning angelically. Joyfully, I hopped along with my new friends, carelessly moving through the trees, as though I had been doing it all my life.

As we went, more children joined the procession. All were clothed in the same tunics, though each child had done something to personalise each one. For example, the boy who'd first met me had a thick brown belt with a buckle shaped like a leaf wrapped around his middle. The girl holding my hand (the first boy was now leading us) had a daisy chain resting delicately on top of her fiery tresses. The rest had things like pins, ribbons and fancy buttons to make them stand out. Not all were redheaded either – there were a few with blond hair, and I even spied a couple of them who looked as though they had green hair to match their tunics!

I'm not quite sure how long we travelled for, but eventually, when night had fallen completely, I saw the flicker of firelight down below. Nothing had been said for the entire journey – the silence had been magical, tense and delightful in the air. But, after so much time not saying anything, I was just bursting to ask the hundreds of questions in my mind. Again, before I could say anything, the red-haired boy I'd first seen, turned around, the firelight dancing strangely in his big, brown eyes. Laughing a little, he pointed down to where I could just see the blazing fire.

"Here's our camp!" he announced proudly. "Now, we're going to go down, and have something to eat." My stomach jumped at the mention of food. "And then, we can tell stories around the fire – maybe we can find some marshmallows or fruit to roast over the fire as well!" His enthusiasm was infectious, and I laughed as we scrambled down the ivy that wrapped around all the trees in sight. As soon as our feet hit the ground, we all ran towards the glowing fire, which turned out to be in a small natural clearing of sorts. The other children pranced around – I saw that they were all much the same age, but there seemed to be a very definite social order to everything.

This thought was almost immediately proved when the first girl (who was still holding my hand), lifted up her free hand, and silence immediately fell. "Go and get some nice food for our new friend everyone – and bring out all your old stories as well!" Her voice was sweet and melodic, but with an underlying power that forbade anyone to disobey her. I wondered how someone so young could have such strength, but shrugged off the thought quite quickly. Nothing much seemed to want to stay in my head, and I smiled blissfully when another small girl (this one with white-blonde hair) took my free hand, and lead me over to the crackling fire.

There, we sat down in a circle, the warmth a welcome feeling in the chilly night air. There was hustle and bustle all around as the other children ran to and fro, fetching and carrying things. Looking around curiously, I could see that there were tree houses in some of the great trees all around us. Ladders and rope bridges linked them together easily, so that it would be possible to go from one end of the miniature village to the other without touching the ground once. It was from these houses that the children fetched all the food and drink, as well as some battered old books.

The circle around the fire already was fast growing, until everyone had returned. In total, there were about a couple of dozen or so children. They beamed, radiant in the firelight, and chattered excitedly as two, a boy and a girl who looked so similar that they just had to be twins, went around, handing out food. My stomach growled and I watched as they drew closer. The redheaded girl giggled when she heard this, and said, "I guess you must be really hungry, huh?"

"Yeah, I am," I admitted with a grin, running my hand through my hair and wondering where my hat had gotten to. I frowned, trying to remember something that seemed really important, but finding it just out of my grasp.

"What's wrong?" the girl asked, holding out a tantalising chunk of bread, soft and fluffy, a nice, bright white with thick crusts, "want some?"

"Oh, yes, thanks!" I said, accepting the food. She watched me eagerly, like a mother making sure that her child eats everything on his plate. I poked the food experimentally, and sniffed it – it smelled great. All warm and homey – just like Grandma's cooking…

A moment of clarity took hold, and I dropped the bread as though it had burnt me. "Shadow!" I gasped, jumping to my feet. The chatter stopped, and all of the gathered children stared at me, open-mouthed. "Sorry," I said, blushing slightly. "I didn't mean to startle you, but…" I had forgotten what I was going to say. "But…I…" I tried to remember what I'd been about to say, but the girl stood up and took my hand, and said,

"It's all right; you're probably just feeling strange because you're so hungry." She reached out and grabbed a new piece of bread, as delicious-looking as the first. This, she put into my other hand. "Here you go; eat up!" she urged, still smiling pleasantly. She let go of my hand and sat down. I looked at the bread, inhaling the scent. Again, I remembered poor-old Shadow, and wondered what she must think! _:She doesn't know where I am. What if she's really worried: _Looking around, my eyes fell on the first boy I'd met, who was holding an untouched apple in his hand; he looked away guiltily, as though he'd been staring only a moment before.

Casually, I swept my eyes over the whole gathering, and saw that none of them had yet started to eat. They were probably waiting for me, just to be polite. I tore off a small corner from my bread, and contemplated it. I lifted it up to my mouth, and watched the reaction of the boy – he was watching unashamedly now. I dropped my hand, and allowed the pieces of bread to tumble to the floor. Again, the redheaded girl jumped up, but her smile seemed forced now. "Really, now, you are terribly clumsy!" she breezed, laughing coolly. Once more, she tried to grab my hand, but I jerked it away.

This made the smile fall away completely. She scowled deeply, suddenly looking older and less enchanting than before. "Are you always this rude?" she asked, shoving another piece of bread towards me. "We don't have to give you anything to eat, but we're trying to be nice! So I don't see why you can't be nice and eat – you're so rude!" she stamped her foot to emphasize her point. Now, the whole circle of children had turned to watch the proceedings, and I felt threatened.

_:They may all be smaller than I am, but there are a lot of them, and only one of me.: _Realising that the only way to get out of this was to accept the food, I reached out for it. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," I assured the girl, and the smile crept back onto her face.

"That's all right," she assured me silkily. She turned and went back to the circle. I took my third piece of bread, and was about to take a huge bite of the tasty treat, when it was knocked from my hands.

"No, don't!" a voice that I'd heard somewhere before shrieked in my ear, and a blinding white light dazzled me.

"No! Stupid fairy, come back here!" the redheaded girl screamed, leaping up from her seat on the floor, and marching towards me. I didn't need the insistent tug on my ear to tell me to get moving. Clumsily, I turned away from the fire and the circle, and began to run blindly into the forest. A soft glow surrounded me, casting my shadow running across the ground, and showing up tree roots that I would otherwise had tripped over. Behind me, I could hear the children blundering after me, cursing as they fell over things they couldn't see in the dark beyond the fire's ring of light.

"Hurry, hurry!" the same bell-like voice came, urging me on. I gasped for air, and carried on running, dodging around huge tree trunks and leaping over smaller shrubs in my flight.

* * *

Shaken by my fall, I still had enough sense of mind to reach out and grab my facemask, in order to wrap it around my face once more. My breath came in short, sharp gasps, and I had to take a few moments to regain myself after my mad dash. Looking around, I could find no trace of my charge, or those that had taken him. _:I don't know how I know, but I _know_ he didn't go alone:. _Straining all of my senses, I tried vainly to find him – or to find _them_. But, there was nothing but the thudding of my heart and the blood pounding in my ears.

Despondently, I clambered to my feet, wondering what I was supposed to do now. Absently, I plucked leaves from my hair, and tightened my facemask. Trying to put off telling Red, I decided to clamber back up to the branch where I'd last seen the Hylian. _:Who knows? Perhaps I'll be able to find a clue that I missed in my haste.: _It was a long shot…but, so was this whole ridiculous trip into the centre of the forest. We didn't even _know_ if the Koroks would be there. It was all just a big guess! How could it be, that the fate of the Great Sea was hinged on us playing guessing games anyway!

Alighting on the branch, I grabbed the green felt hat, and exhaled slowly. The thoughts of undirected anger regarding disorganisation, turned around and pointed at me. _:How could I be so stupid? I shouldn't have left him here alone – this place is full of dark magic! How could I think that leaving him alone would be safe: _To be perfectly honest, I hadn't even been thinking… I'd just been feeling guilty for deceiving the poor lad. _:And now I've let him down again – twice, in so many minutes: _It was ridiculous…

The hat I rolled up, and put into my pack after taking out the green stone. Clenching it tightly in my right hand, I reached out, calling for Red. The gem warmed my palm, and I saw it glow slightly. "Red?" I ventured, taking care to keep the concerned note out of my voice. On the other end, I heard snoring, and despite the dire situation, an amused grin flashed across my face. "Red!" I tried again, louder this time. I could just imagine him starting up, as a startled yelp erupted from the stone.

"Huh – what?"

"It's Shadow," I explained to the King of Red Lions, who had obviously only just woken up. I felt sorry for him in advance, knowing my news was going to upset him. _:I know I'm upset about it, anyway…: _I sniffed as furious tears pressed at my eyelids.

"Shadow? Oh…yes… Well, what is it my dear?" he asked, still sounding rather dozy. I gulped. "Shadow?"

"I've lost the Hylian I only left him for a little while and when I came back he was gone and I don't know where he is I'm so sorry Red I didn't mean to I just-" I gabbled.

"Hang on, hang on!" he cut across me. "I didn't get a word of that. Are you all right? You sound upset… Would you like to try that again, but slowly?" he prompted. I nodded, though he couldn't see the gesture, and repeated myself.

"Red, I…I'm sorry… I left Rufus for a minute at most to scout around, and when I went back to where I left him…he was gone…I…" the tears did come then, Sheikah posterity be damned. I didn't like this oppressive forest, full of Wolfos and Gods only knew what else, and I'd lost the lad – our new Hero. I just wanted to go home…

Red didn't answer for a long while…when he finally did, his words shocked me. "Oh, Shadow," he said, words full of pity, rather than the raging anger I'd expected. "Look, I can't pretend I'm not angry, but…look, there's no point my being angry with you. You're sorry, and you are forgiven."

"Th-thank you," I snuffled.

"All that matters now is finding the lad."

"Which is going to prove as easy as it was to find the Koroks," I surmised, managing to pull myself together again. "I've got his hat," I added.

"What?"

"His hat –I have his hat," I repeated.

"Well, in that case…look, where are you now?"

"I'm up in the trees at the moment."

"Good. I want you to set that hat on fire."

"What?" I asked, incredulous.

"Just do it!"

"But, someone will see-"

"That's the whole point," he said flatly. "If you light it, and then try and make the flames burn blue with your magic. It need only be for a few seconds. Again, it's a long shot, but if this works, you'll have some allies in that forest." Before I could further question his orders, he was gone. I looked at the pointed hat in my right hand (the left hand being used to dry my wet cheeks), and began to imagine it aflame. _:Blue flames? What creatures respond to blue flames…: _I couldn't remember ever reading anything to do with blue flames…

But, I did as he said, glaring at the flickering reds and oranges of my fire, and superimposing icy blues and purples over the top. The fire burned the hat quickly, so that in the end I had to flap it around in order to put it out. Some ashes remained clinging to my fingertips, and I brushed them over my bandages, leaving long grey streaks across my torso.

Looking around, nothing had changed. Above, the sun had completely disappeared below the skyline. In the west, stars were winking into existence, and the moon was beginning to glint in the purple/grey sky. The few clouds scudding the sky blazed pink. The breeze had died to a pitiful few gusts of air here and there, which whistled through the branches, rustling leaves.

_Rustle, rustle. _The breeze had died, but the rustling continued. Startled, I raked my eyes over the vegetation where the noise had come from, and my eyes widened in shock at what I saw.

_:A… A fairy…one of the ancient fairies…: _My mouth had dropped open, and in some distant, sensible corner of my mind, I was glad my facemask covered my mouth, so I didn't look like a complete idiot. I snapped my jaw shut, but continued to stare at the mystical creature of myth in front of me.

The fairy had the appearance of a young woman, and glowed a soft, comforting pale blue. She wore a swirling white dress that skimmed her feet, which were resting on a thin twig. Her light grey eyes were as wide as mine, and she looked as shocked to see me, as I was to see her. After a few moments of utter stillness, she tensed, her wings stiffening. I realised she meant to fly off, and called out before she could leave. "Wait!" I started to move forwards. She edged backwards, and I stopped, holding my hands up instead, to show that I meant her no harm. "Please, I don't mean to harm you. I was told that burning a blue flame would attract allies," I said, only realising afterwards that this probably made no sense.

Instead of flitting off muttering about how 'crazy' I no doubt was, the fairy relaxed. She launched into the air, and alighted on a twig closer to my eye-level. "Who told you that?"

"The King of Red Lions," I answered.

"Ah, Daphnes Harkonnen," she nodded. "He doesn't know us well, but he knows enough to signal us," she said, more to herself than to me. Then, she returned her attention to me. "What's your name? Mine's Luna."

"I'm Shadow…and I'm sorry, but…"

"He didn't tell you what would happen after you summoned one of us?" she guessed. I nodded dumbly. "No one other than the Kokiri was ever sure about us…" she admitted, sounding melancholy. "Well…would it be forward of me to ask what's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"Well," she circled one of her small feet on the twig she was stood on, looking guilty. "I was watching you burning the hat, and you looked upset. Was it because you liked the hat?" I managed a small laugh at this, and she smiled as well, showing pearly white teeth. "I'm guessing that's a no?"

"You'd be right – no. I don't think I'd ever be too upset over the loss of a hat like that," I smiled to her. Then, I became sombre again. "No, I'm upset because I've lost someone I was supposed to be looking after." Luna had winced at the word 'lost'. "What is it?"

"When people are lost in the forest, they are rarely found," she declared mournfully. "And if they are found, they are never found unchanged. Who is it that you have lost?" I could feel tears welling up again at this dire outlook,

"A Hylian boy I was meant to be looking out for…his name was…R-Rufus," I coughed to stop myself from letting my tears out again.

"Rufus?" she repeated, recognition evident. "Would he have blond hair and wear a green tunic by any chance?" My head snapped up at this, hope returning.

"Yes, that's right! Have you seen him?" She shook her head, and my mood plummeted.

"No, I haven't… But I have a very good idea of where he might be."

"Really? Where?" I demanded, drawing so close to her that I could see the stitching on her dress. She didn't recoil, instead reaching out to touch my forehead, between my eyebrows. Immediately, I calmed, and sat back again, surveying her with interest. "Where do you think he is then?" I asked again.

"He will be with the Kokiri," she answered simply, shuddering at the name.

"The _Kokiri_?" I choked. "But, surely…they're no more!"

"That's what they'd want everyone to believe. But no, there are still a few of them left…and they're not as they used to be. They've become twisted and changed over time. Now they're bitter and they resent all the things that they cannot have…like _life_ itself…" I raised my eyebrow, and she noticed my curious expression. "But, no… I'm sorry, there isn't time to explain. I must go and retrieve him from them before it's too late!"

"I'll come with you!" I offered, already on my feet, sorrow forgotten with the new hope of finding the Hylian.

"No!" she barked. Then, she continued, softly, "No. It's far too dangerous. I'll call some of the others, and they'll take you somewhere safe. I'll go and get Rufus, and I'll bring him to you…though I can't promise he'll be the same Hylian boy who left you." I shuddered at the dark overtones of this statement. Even the appearance of several dozen more fairies didn't fill me with as much wonderment as it normally would have. When the small orbs of light, all colours of the rainbow, swirled around me, and picked me up as easily as though I weighed nothing, all I could think of was Rufus in danger somewhere in this big forest.

Everything around me disappeared. The many-coloured lights of the fairies melted together and surrounded me, a bubble of pulsating lights, whose colours changed constantly. Their magic was calming, wrapping warmly around me and stilling the thudding of my heart, slowing the rasping breaths in my throat. I relaxed, allowing all my muscles to un-tense, one by one. The bell-like voices of the fairies filled my ears, and they rocked me to sleep with the comfort of their magic.

Before I completely left the world of waking, Luna's words came back to me. _'I can't promise he'll be the same Hylian boy who left you.' :What does that even mean: _

* * *

Finally, when I could run no longer and my legs had turned to jelly, the familiar bell-like voice told me, "It's OK, we lost them. You can stop now." I obeyed immediately, bending double, with my hands on my knees, and sucking in a lungful of air. The glow that had followed and surrounded me throughout my run became brighter, and a ball of bright light perched amongst the foliage of a small hawthorn bush next to me. "Hello Rufus."

"Luna!" her name suddenly clicked in my mind as I looked at the shining grey and white fairy. "I – thank you. Who were…_they?_" I asked, looking fearfully over my shoulder for the strange children.

"They're the Kokiri," she said, jogging something in my memory – but my mind was still a little hazy, so I dismissed the half-formed memory. "I must say, I'm impressed." She hopped up into the air and flew lazily around my head.

"You are…?" I said slowly, not sure what she was on about.

"Yes," she replied. "You're one of the first people who's been able to refuse their food…well, for a little while anyway," she added with a strained chuckle.

"The food?" I echoed dumbly. She just laughed again, the sound more natural this time.

"Yes, the food! It's enchanted – if you'd eaten it, you would have believed anything they told you, and done anything they wanted you to." I shivered at this idea. She saw, and alighted on my left shoulder. "They used the same sort of enchantment to get you to come with them, but you managed to break it just long enough to remember who you were…and a good thing too. As it was, I only just got to you in time!"

"Yeah – thank you for saving me from…" I looked over my shoulder again, feeling like I was being watched. "But why would they want to enchant me?" I asked, looking back at her with a frown when she tugged on a few strands of my hair.

"Oh, sorry," she apologised with a smile. She returned to her perch on the shrub, and peered owlishly up at me. "I would have thought it obvious why they'd want to enchant you." My quizzical expression told her that this was not so. "Oh…perhaps not… Well…look, we can't really talk here. There are spies all over this forest. If you come with me, I'll take you to somewhere safe." I made to follow the glittering orb as she flitted off, but then remembered someone rather important.

"Shadow! I can't forget about her again…sorry…she's someone I'm travelling with, and I should really-"

"We've already met her," Luna told me, waving her hand carelessly. "She'll probably already be there; though, I warn you, she might be sleeping." The fairy turned around fully at this, and said, "She looked a little tired, so I had the others place a simple charm on her so she'd slumber for a while."

"Oh…right," I nodded, again getting that feeling that I'd missed something important. The fairy turned around once more, and began to slowly drift through the murky air, giving me some respite after my flight. My legs were beginning to ache a little, and I was glad that she wasn't going too fast. _:I hope Shadow isn't too worried about me: _I thought guiltily. _:I can't believe I managed to forget all about her like that… But Luna _did_ say they'd enchanted me… I should have been able to fight it though. I mean…if I can't fight against a load of kids…what hope is there: _These gloomy thoughts circled around in my head, taunting me. The crunching of leaves underfoot, and occasional cautious halts in our journey did little to distract me from my thoughts.

I'm not quite sure how long we travelled for. There was something about the forest that just made you forget time altogether. Even during the daytime, it had been gloomy underneath the thick lattice-work of leaves and branches; at night, I wouldn't have been able to so much as see my hand in front of my face, if it hadn't been for the glowing fairy lighting my way. It was as I was trudging doggedly after her up a steep bank, that I noticed the world around lighten. Curiously, I looked upwards, wondering whether it could be morning already. It didn't feel as though we could have been travelling that long…but I couldn't see any other reason for the darkness to be drawing away!

That was until we crested the top of the rise, of course. Then, looking down over a small valley devoid of the overbearing, gnarled trees that covered the rest of the island, I realised exactly where all that light was coming from. _:Wow…: _Luna hovered next to me, allowing me to take everything in. _:Aryll would have _loved_ this.: _I thought.

The tiny hollow was filled with all sorts of wildflowers, their heady scent reaching my nostrils on the breeze. Blood red roses grew in a ring around the outside of the small meadow, all trailing from one great, towering rosebush in the centre. It was from this very plant that twinkling lights glowed, all colours of the rainbow. Beneath the thorny branches of the rosebush was an immobile figure; I took a step forwards, momentarily worried, but relaxed when Shadow stirred slightly. Her silvery hair had come loose again, and glowed against the dark leaves on the ground.

Luna had sped off to the other fairies, and I could hear frantic whispering as all of the twinkling creatures gathered around her. My Sheikah companion moved once more, sitting up and opening her eyes. She yawned widely, stretching her arms over her head, and then smiled slightly when she caught sight of the fairies above… _:Wait a minute…her mask has come off: _I looked away guiltily, guessing that she probably wouldn't want me staring; from the corner of my eye, I could see that she had noticed her lack of mask as well. She snapped the piece of material back up over her nose, and tied it securely at the back of her head.

Even through the gloom, I had registered something surprising… _:She's…pretty…: _I'd been wondering why she wore a mask since I first saw her. I don't know…for some reason, I thought there must be something wrong with her face or something… _:So why does she wear it then: _I knew I'd probably never dare to ask; plus, I was too busy trying to ignore the butterflies that had suddenly started flying around in my stomach. _:This is stupid! She's much older than me, and a better fighter, and I didn't feel weird before I saw her face! Stop being dumb Rufus: _

"Rufus!" Shadow called, having spotted me lingering on the edge of the enchanted little hollow. She rushed over to me at her phenomenal speed, and before I knew what was happening, had engulfed me in a rib-crushing hug! "Oh, thank the Gods you're all right!" she said, giving me a last squeeze before letting me go again. "Ahem…" she coughed self-consciously. "Uh, what I mean to say is…I'm glad you're all right." She slouched a little so that she was on my level. "When I got back and found nothing but your hat…" she trailed off and shrugged. "Well, no matter – you're all right…aren't you?"

I nodded, feeling as though I'd slipped into some odd new world, and allowed her to shepherd me down towards where the fairies were waiting for us. Soft grass brushed against my legs, and I managed to pluck a few daisies as we went past a patch of them. I toyed with the idea of presenting them to Shadow, but instead satisfied myself with stuffing one through the buttonhole at the top of my collar. "Fetching," Shadow murmured, looking sidelong at me, and then glancing away before I could catch her eye. Luckily, Luna drifted over and spared me the trial of trying to understand the Sheikah's odd personality.

"Hello again," the grey fairy greeted Shadow – she in turn gave a small wave. "I trust that you enjoyed your sleep?"

"Yes, thank you," Shadow nodded politely.

"She did after we managed to fight her into staying here anyway," one of the other fairies muttered, sunny yellow surrounding his small frame.

"Oh, hush Phoebus," Luna said, containing a laugh. Shadow shuffled uncomfortably and I nudged her in the side,

"Why were you so keen to leave?" I asked.

"Wanted to make sure you were OK," she whispered back, the tips of her ears turning bright red. "Stupid, I know…but…well… Red would have killed me if I lost you!" she ended, stumbling over her words slightly. I laughed slightly at this statement, and then said,

"Well, thanks anyway. Nice to know you care."

"Of course I do," she agreed, nodding slightly. I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach. Any and all doubts I'd had about her were obliterated by this shaky confession. (The bone-crushing embrace she'd caught me in earlier only seemed to confirm her sincerity on this matter.) I managed a proper smile, and returned my attention to Luna and the other fairy…_:Urm…'Fee-bud'? Bah, I'll get it in a minute…: _The both of them had been waiting patiently for Shadow and me to finish our talk.

"Well…now that we're here, we have a few hours before the sun rises once more. I'd suggest that you both stay here for the night – the Kokiri will probably have alerted the Lord of your presence by now." Shadow and I exchanged glances that plainly said 'what?' Luna noticed, and sighed softly, "Ah, of course…you don't know of him, do you?" I shook my head. "I suppose there'll be time before you go to sleep to tell you everything you need to know."

"Sleep?" Shadow echoed.

"Yes, sleep m'lady – considering you've only had a couple of hours, and the boy even less," the yellow fairy interjected; this earned him a warning look from Luna. He shrank back a little, and folded his arms sulkily over his chest.

"Sorry about him," the grey fairy intoned, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at him. He stuck his tongue out, and it was a struggle not to laugh. "Anyway, yes, you should both get as much sleep as you can before you begin again tomorrow." She held her hand up, realising that I was about to protest, "No, that's my final word. You helped me once, and I'm going to do the same!" she looked so fierce that I didn't dare contradict her. "This small part of the forest is safe from any attack; everything within the roses cannot be touched by any we don't want in." I nodded, to show that I understood – Shadow surveyed the edge of the hollow doubtfully.

"I don't mean to be rude," she began tentatively.

"Yes?" Luna prompted.

"But, if there are important things we need to know, shouldn't you really begin to tell us of them?" The small grey fairy started, and the yellow fairy _:Phoebus, that's it: _could barely contain himself at this blunt question.

"Oh my, sorry – I was rabbiting on, wasn't I?" Luna conceded immediately. "We rarely get to see anyone new to speak to, so…yes…well… Please, feel free to sit down. I'll just go and get a few things to help tell the story."

"Story?" I echoed, but both fairies had sped off. I sank down onto the ground next to Shadow, and looked at her with admiration. "Well done," I said.

"What for?" she asked, confused.

"For getting her to hurry up and tell us what's going on, of course!" the blonde girl just shrugged.

"I just wanted to know what we're up against…I don't like being left in the dark." I relaxed into the steady banter, feeling once more comfortable in the Sheikah girl's presence.

* * *

The scent of roses tickled my nose, and I inhaled the sweet smell deeply. For some reason, they reminded me of something…it seemed important, yet I couldn't quite grasp why. Shuffling slightly, I realised that I was lying down; soft leaves tickled my face. Curiously, I opened my eyes in order to squint at the world around me. Directly in front of my face was a bright red blossom, vibrant in the bright moonlight. Soft lights faded in and out at the corners of my vision, voices rising and falling without any words. The wind seemed to sing in the air – a melody with no beginning or end.

With a sudden rush of realisation, I knew the name of the flower staring me in the face. _:A rose:. _And, with another flash of remembrance, I sat bolt upright. Feverishly, I whipped my head around, searching for a band of string players; for purple and white roses to accompany the red ones; for a man I loathed more than I could possibly express. Finding none of these things, my muscles relaxed…though only slightly. I looked down at my hands, fearing for a moment that I would see a silver ring on my left hand. However, there was nothing; on my right hand, fierce cuts made up the Tri-Force symbol.

"NO! This is not real! It's a bloody vision! You told me yourself you could customise them, so why don't you stop this right now?"

I shook my head to get rid of the vision Dragmire had tried to fool me with days ago. This drew the attention of one of the glowing lights that had been drifting around me. The fairy (which was a comforting sunny yellow amongst the gloomy trees) came to rest on the very rose blossom that I had woken to. When the glow had died away slightly, I saw that it was a man – I remembered him as one of the fairies who had whisked me away from the branch, where…_:Rufus…: _"I have to find him," I mumbled to myself, ignoring the quizzical look of the yellow fairy.

"Pardon?" he tilted his head to one side, a small smile playing on his face. "Are you quite all right? You look a little shaken."

"I – I'm fine," I answered distractedly, getting my feet. The sight that met my eyes was lovely – wildflowers carpeted the basin of a small valley, stretching up its sides until they met a ring of red roses that ran all the way around the outside of the hollow. More of the glowing fairies flew lazily amongst the flowers, bell-like voices tinkling pleasantly. It was very reminiscent of the clearing in which the Great Deku Tree himself stood…yet…_:those roses…Dragmire…: _I swallowed, not noticing that the fairy-man had flown up to be on my eye-level.

"Not meaning to offend, but you don't look as if you are," he observed. "You should probably try and get back to sleep."

"Sleep?" I echoed, focusing my eyes on the orb of golden light. "No…I can't. I have to find…" I trailed off, lifting my eyes to survey the ring of roses again. Beyond it, the world dissolved into menacing shadows, ready to reach out and engulf any who came too near. _:And that's where I'm going: _I decided certainly, striding away from the rose bush under which I had slept, intent on finding Rufus, if it was the last thing I did! The yellow fairy trailed me, others starting to follow in his wake.

"Uh…I'm sorry…but Luna said you should really stay here…"

"I'll be quite all right. Thank you." I said back in clipped tones. When I felt a small weight on my shoulder, I stopped and looked down. He smiled up at me, looking apologetic.

"Heh; I've got to do what she tells me. I dread to think what she'd do if I just let you go wandering off."

"I'm quite capable of looking after myself. Don't worry yourself."

"Ah, that I don't doubt," he said, launching back into the air. "But, my orders are to keep you here, so…" The others fairies had surrounded me without my notice; the circle of lights was closing in. I looked at the yellow one murderously.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, though most of the anger was lost as a wave of drowsiness caught up with me. "No…stop it…I…Rufus…" Weakly, I swiped at the yellow fairy – he dodged me easily.

"So sorry. Just go back to sleep – he'll be OK." Now feeling as weak as a kitten, I sank to my knees, all the many-coloured flowers blurring into one as I fought to keep my eyes open. _:This isn't…fair… Using magic when I…so tired…: _I yawned, and submitted to my body's demands to lie down. _:Just for a minute or two…and then I'll go and get…: _

…

When I next awoke, it was obvious that I'd been out for more than a few minutes. Feeling a little better after my sleep, I sat up, smiling at the fairies that surrounded me. All my dreams had been warm, bright – full of the small magical creatures. Without it being said, I knew that they meant well, and forgave them for their…less than fair methods of keeping me there. I yawned, stretching my arms above my head and managing to click my back in the process. The floor, covered in so many dead leaves and the soft grass had made my sleep rather more comfortable than I could have guessed, and I momentarily wished I hadn't woken up.

When I felt the soft touch of the breeze against my cheek, I realised that my mask had fallen down as I slept. Self-consciously, I pulled it back over my nose, hoping that the fairies didn't think I was too odd for doing so… When I had made sure it wasn't going to slip off again, I ran a hand through my hair, tucking it behind my ears to keep it out of the way. A flash of green that seemed out of sorts with the black trees caught my eye. Looking up, I saw Rufus standing awkwardly outside the ring of roses, tunic a little ruffled and blond hair looking even more like a crow's nest than it usually did, but none the worse for wear.

Unable to contain myself, I sprang up, and rushed over in order to catch him in a strong hug. "Rufus! Oh, thank the Gods you're all right!" I couldn't believe that I had gotten off so easily with leaving him alone – things could have been much worse. Plus…well, it was impossible not to feel something for the lad; he was courageous for one thing, and surprisingly talented for a Hylian… Realising that I was still hugging him, I released my hold, feeling embarrassed at the look of abject shock on his face. I coughed quietly, and said, "Uh…what I mean to say is… I'm glad you're all right," I amended. He nodded slightly, the corners of his lips tugging a smile onto his face. "When I got back and found nothing but your hat…" I shrugged. "Well, no matter," I added, attempting to be jovial, "you're all right – aren't you?" He nodded again, and I sighed internally with relief.

_:Phew… OK, panic over. He's all right. You messed up, but just forget it, because he's all right.: _I led him towards the rose bush at the centre of the small valley; he plucked a few daisies as we went past a patch of them. It reminded me of the time when Delia and I had forced Firen to wear a chain of daisies on his head during Delia's birthday celebrations one year… Without really thinking about it, I murmured, "Fetching," with a small smile, when I saw that Rufus had stuffed one of the blossoms through the buttonhole on his tunic. His brows furrowed slightly at this, and he made to catch my eye – panicking a little, I looked away, eyes falling once again on those red roses.

_:Dragmire will take advantage of this if you're not careful: _I warned myself. Yet… Rufus was just…like a little brother of sorts, really… I wanted to ensure his safety; not just on Red's orders, but on my own as well. That was why it had worried me so much to find him gone… The idea of him being hurt or wounded was abhorrent! And, well, if feeling that way would help me do what I was supposed to do, then I'd just have to risk Dragmire's ministrations, wouldn't I? _:Yet, if you do that, _you_ could end up being the one to hurt the Hylian…:_

"Hello again. I trust you enjoyed your sleep?" the grey fairy called Luna greeted me.

"Yes, thank you," I nodded, noticing the yellow fairy hovering nearby. He looked pointedly at me, and then muttered,

"She did after we managed to fight her into staying here anyway…" The grey fairy looked surprised, and then laughed slightly,

"Oh, hush Phoebus!" I felt foolish for my earlier actions, and wished that the yellow fairy had not pointed them out…especially not in front of Rufus! As if he'd heard my thoughts, the Hylian nudged me gently in the side, and whispered,

"Why were you so keen to leave?" Feeling a hot flush creeping up over my cheeks, I decided to be truthful, and murmured back,

"Wanted to make sure you were OK… Stupid I know but…well…Red would have killed me if I lost you!" I ended, knowing immediately that the lad would see right through my attempt at humour. He laughed a little at my admission, before sombrely saying,

"Well, thanks anyway…" he hesitated a little, and then said, "Nice to know you care." There was a slight edge of bitterness in his voice, which I guessed he hadn't meant to allow to show through. However, it prompted me to assure him that I did, indeed, care.

"Of course I do." This made him smile properly; I returned his smile, and then we both looked to the two fairies (Luna and Phoebus), who had been waiting patiently whilst we spoke. I gave a minute nod to Luna to say that she could speak.

"Well, now that we're here, we have a few hours before the sun rises once more. I'd suggest that you both stay here for the night – the Kokiri will probably have alerted the Lord of your presence by now." I felt a little shiver at the base of my spine at the mention of this 'Lord'. I exchanged a look with Rufus, who was just as perplexed as I was. "Ah, of course…you don't know of him, do you?" Rufus shook his head, and I was about press her further on the matter, when she carried on, "I suppose there'll be time before you go to sleep to tell you everything you need to know."

"Sleep?" I'd only just woken up for Gods sakes!

"Yes, sleep m'lady," Phoebus said, "considering you've only had a couple of hours, and the boy even less." Luna gave him a warning look – he pouted and crossed his arms out his chest petulantly. I once again ignored the yellow fairy, annoyed at what he'd done to me earlier.

"Sorry about him," the grey fairy said, gesturing to Pheobus, who just stuck out his tongue childishly. "Anyway, yes, you should both get as much sleep as you can before you begin again tomorrow." She had taken on a very motherly tone, and stopped Rufus before he could say anything, "No, that's my final word!" Eyes softening, she looked to Rufus directly, "You helped me once." Then, she glared, "I'm going to do the same!" The Hylian looked as though he didn't dare to answer her back; I listened, hoping (vainly it seemed), that Luna would get on to telling who this 'Lord' was, and why his name instilled fear in me, even though I'd never heard of him before in my life! "This small part of the forest is safe from any attack…everything within the roses cannot be touched by any we don't want in." I looked again at the ring of red roses; they merely served to remind me of Dragmire, and I doubted that anything which could do that could be good.

Realising that the grey fairy could (and probably would) be able to talk nonsense for hours without getting to the point, I decided to give her a gentle nudge in the right direction. As diplomatically as I could, I began, "I don't mean to be rude…" _:But I'm going to be anyway.:_

"Yes?" Luna said.

"But…if there are important things we need to know, shouldn't you really begin to tell us of them?" I concluded; the yellow fairy clamped both hands over his mouth to contain laughter, and the grey fairy looked shocked. However, she graciously managed to regain herself, and nodded humbly,

"Oh my…sorry; I was rabbiting on, wasn't I? We rarely get to see anyone new to speak to," she explained. "So, yes…well… Please, feel free to sit down. I'll just go and get a few things to help tell the story." I smiled in triumph, watching the small grey ball of light flit off into the mass of twisting branches at the centre of the rose bush.

"Story?" Rufus repeated, raising an eyebrow. I sat down on the ground and crossed my legs, reaching up a hand in order to 'casually' check that my mask was still all right. It had been quite a shock to wake up and find it gone… "Well done," Rufus said suddenly, having taken up a seat next to me on the soft grass.

"What for?"

"For getting her to hurry up and tell us what's going on, of course!" he said. I just shrugged, feeling glad that he agreed with my sentiments.

"I just wanted to know what we're up again…I don't like being left in the dark," I said. I saw Rufus visibly relax when I said this; he fiddled with the daisy in his buttonhole, and looked over at the rosebush, still glittering with dozens of fairy lights. Not knowing how long it would take Luna to find what it was she was looking for, I reached out and pulled up a few daisies that were nestled in the jade grass beneath me. These I placed on my knee; I picked up one, and used my thumbnail in order to pierce a hole in the stem. Then, I drove another daisy through this hole, beginning to create a daisy chain as we waited.

Rufus watched with interested, and asked softly, "How _do_ you do that? I've always wondered…my sister's great at making daisy-chains, but I never really got it." There was a ghost of sorrow on his face at the mention of his sister, but it went away quite quickly. Deciding that he could probably do with something to take his mind off her, I shuffled over, and showed him what I had already done. Then, I lifted up another daisy, discarding the two-flower chain I had started, and beginning again.

"Well, you just take a whole bunch of daisies," I indicated those still lying on my leg, "And then you get the first one… Just use your nail and pierce through the stem at the bottom to make a hole. See?" I bent the stalk of the daisy I held so that the hole gaped wide.

"Yeah, I see," he nodded.

"Want to try?" I proffered one of my collection of daisies. He took it, and tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, he bought it up close to his face, and drove his nail through the green stalk. However, he did so with a bit too much gusto, meaning that he just sliced off the end of the stem instead.

"Oh…bother!" he said, frowning and trying again. This time, he managed it, and grinned triumphantly. "What now?" I handed him another daisy, picking up another myself as well.

"Now, you just poke a second daisy through the hole you've made, and then pull it through – like this," I demonstrated. He copied me, and then looked at me expectantly for the next instruction. "Well, now, you just make a hole in the second daisy, and carry on until the chain's long enough."

"Right," he nodded, concentrating fiercely as he added another daisy to his chain. He then began to get his own supply of the small, cheerful flowers, stringing them together with increasing proficiency. When he had about six in a line, he stopped, a sudden thought seeming to strike him.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Oh…just… Well, just realising how girly an occupation making daisy chains is," he said nonchalantly, obviously struggling to keep a straight face. I snorted; the sudden laugh made me move so much that I managed to dislodge one of my daggers. It clattered to the floor, making the both of us jump nervously. I picked it up, and raised my eyebrow at him,

"Well…just think how 'boyish' I must be, with all this fighting equipment," I chuckled, slipping the dagger back through my belt. He grinned, and we continued to make our daisy chains in companionable silence. A few more minutes of calm passed, and then the grey fairy Luna was back, clutching an ancient and miniscule tome under one arm, and hanging onto the end of a scrap of green material that looked suspiciously like…

"My hat!" Rufus exclaimed as the green felt fell to the ground in front of him. Daisy chain forgotten for the moment, he grabbed it and forced it onto his head, hiding the mess of wheat-coloured strands atop his head.

"Well, not quite…but I found this one and thought it looked about right for you," Luna smiled at the big grin on the Hylian's face as he tugged at the rim of the hat so that it settled comfortably on his head.

"Thanks."

"No problem." I wondered if I'd need to prompt the fairy once more to get to the point. However, I didn't need to worry. She crossed her legs Indian-style in the air, and rested the old book on her lap, opening it to marked page. Running her finger over the miniscule text (I tried to read it, but was unable to decipher it), she found the place she was looking for, and looked up at us once again. I guiltily looked away, feeling that she probably wouldn't have wanted me to try and read over shoulder. Rufus stopped playing with his new hat, and nervously picked up his half-formed daisy chain, hands working of their own accord. I did the same thing, finding that having something to do made me calm down a little bit.

Luna took a deep breath, and looked down at the book again. "OK, before I start, I just need to know if you already know how the Koroks came to be, and-"

"Yes, we do," Rufus nodded, his voice eager. "We know all about how the Kokiri moved the Great Deku Tree onto a mountain before the flood, and then they took the shapes that the Koroks have today, and all that."

"Right," the grey fairy nodded. "Good…I mean…well…at least I don't have to go over that as well." It sounded as though her throat was slightly constricted, and when I looked more closely, I could see the telltale shimmer of tears in her eyes. She noticed my gaze, and carelessly brushed the back of her hand over her eyes, obliterating the moisture waiting to spill out. "Anyway," she breathed, "It's good that you already know about that… The next part of the tale is much less savoury, I warn you of that now."

"Luna," Rufus whispered, sensing that the small fairy was a little fragile. "Please…I can tell that this must be hard for you, but…we can only help if we know _everything_." Luna nodded, sniffing in a dignified way.

"Of course, of course," she agreed breezily. "Now…the tale begins just as the other one leaves off…"

* * *

I fiddled absent-mindedly with the daisy chain in my lap, not even much caring when I ended up snapping it in two. Luna's words invaded my mind, drawing pictures so vivid that they were almost like memories.

"Now…the tale begins just as the other leaves off… After the great floods, all the Kokiri were to be found on these two islands – back then, the forest was only young, bright and friendly. We set about building new homes as best we could with the materials we had – Kokiri and fairy partners together. Most of the Kokiri missed their old home, but the new forest provided a good home for us all. A few wolves had become trapped on this island, and so few of the Kokiri stayed here for all that long, preferring to move closer to the Great Deku Tree on the other island, and make their homes there.

"Of course, there were those who liked to think of themselves as brave adventurers, and so they stayed in the woods here. Some even managed to capture a few wolves and tame them as pets… Yet, even from the start, there was something at the centre of the forest; something dark that none of us dared to go near. The Great Deku Tree, sensing that there was something bad on this island, called the Kokiri that remained here to come back to him. Most did as they were told – but, again, there were those who wanted to stay. They knew that if they went, they would have to leave their pets behind…and the Kokiri have always been rather childish in their ways.

"Also, some of the Kokiri, having seen what their brethren had changed into, were scared of being forced to change as well. They liked their childlike forms, and thought that the Great Deku Tree would force them to change. He assured them that he wouldn't…yet, by this time, the dark presence in the forest had changed them. They were no longer the trusting, kind, shy creatures they'd once been…they had become…" Luna trailed off, and swept a hand over her eyes as tears leaked out. Shivering a little at the dark tone in her voice, I looked at Shadow, half expecting her to launch in and finish the story. Yet, for once, she didn't know any more than I did.

I dug around in my pocket, and managed to find a handkerchief balled up in one of them. After checking that it was clean, I held it out to Luna. The grey fairy smiled a watery smile, and took the very tip of the white material in order to wipe her face. "Better?" I asked.

"Much, thanks," she nodded. "Now…where was I?" she ran her finger down the page she was on, and then started up again. "With the help of the dark power in the forest, they had become the creatures that tried to steal you away tonight," she looked at me. "They no longer listened to the Great Deku Tree, because they had a new leader – he taught them how to fight, and fulfilled their wishes to be just like the great Hero of Time himself. He taught them how to fight…kill…hunt…do all the things that the Kokiri had never done!" she exclaimed angrily.

"They began to address the dark power as 'the Lord' – he didn't discourage this. In fact, I think he liked it. Slowly, over the years, he has fashioned them into his slaves, giving them just enough of what they want so that they will continue to follow him."

"But who is he?" I asked wondrously, unable to stop myself. Luna shuddered, and shook her head,

"I – I can't!" she slammed the book shut. "He…it's just too…" she spluttered, unable to find the words. With a final, desperate sob, she zoomed off, flicking her wrist behind her as she went. A string of silvery light flowed from her index finger, expanding into a odd sphere in the air. Another flash of light assaulted my eyes, and when the stars had died away from my vision, I was able to see that a picture had appeared within the floating ball.

"My Gods," Shadow said, horrified. I agreed with her completely. I stared at the picture, hardly able to believe my eyes, yet unable to tear myself away from what I saw. It just couldn't…shouldn't…be possible! Yet, there it was, as plain as day!

A huge Wolfos, with pure black fur, glowered at us from the confines of the floating sphere. His eyes were piercingly green, blazing with great intelligence. His teeth were long and sparkled white when he snarled at us, fur rising all along the back of his neck. He stood upright on two legs, just as a man does. It looked as though he had always walked that way – his front paws had turned into something that looked a lot more like hand, with opposable thumbs and all. A shimmering sabre of some beaten metal was slung across his furred back, held in place with a chain of small bones, linked together with metal links. But, the worst thing of all, was the line of glass bottles acting as a sort of belt around his waist. In each one was a fairy; their lights were weak and stuttering, some had gone out altogether. He patted the bottles, clawed fingers clinking against the glass, and cast an amused smirk at us, perhaps registering our horror.

Shadow suddenly reached forwards, and waved her hand through the picture, obliterating it. I exhaled, the spell of horrified wonder broken. I looked at her, and could see that she looked just as felt. "It…how is it…" I couldn't finish my sentence – she understood what I meant though.

"I don't know… I've never…never seen anything like it…" she trailed off hopelessly, looping her now finished daisy chain over her head and then promptly forgetting all about it. "Where do you suppose she went?"

"Back to her chambers below ground," Phoebus, the yellow fairy, answered for her. We both looked at him; instead of the cheeky grin I had seen earlier, his face was drawn and sombre. "She's lost many good friends to the Lord…we all have…"

"Oh, I see…I'm sorry," I said, only afterwards realising how futile a statement that had been. Phoebus just nodded gratefully, and then turned to Shadow, who was fiddling agitatedly with her weaponry.

"I know you'll want to go out and finish your mission as soon as possible, but…please… I'd advise you to wait until morning. He seems to lose some of his power when the sun is up." Shadow dropped her hands, and nodded to show that she understood.

"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sleep," I whispered, rubbing my arms as I felt suddenly chilly. Shadow smiled weakly,

"Me neither."

"Well, I can help you there," Phoebus managed half a smile, and looked a little more like his old self.

"Oh, not more of that magic of yours!" Shadow protested jokily, making the yellow fairy smile properly this time.

"I'm afraid so!"

"Oh, very well then…just let us get out something to rest our heads on first." Phoebus nodded, and withdrew a little. "I suppose we _should_ sleep whilst we can," she said to me. It wasn't quite a question, but I felt I should answer anyway,

"Yeah, we probably should." Silently, we both preparing ourselves so that we could have a comfortable sleep. Shadow used her backpack as a pillow, lying on her side and curling up so that she was clutching her knees to her chest. I moved a little way off to give her some space, and lay down so that I was facing her, my head on my backpack. It was a little bit lumpy, but comfortable enough. Managing a small smile at her, I closed my eyes; Phoebus performed whatever magic it was he needed to, and I drifted off into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

* * *

_Please ignore the incongruous wonder about fairies… I'm taking it that there are two types of fairies in this universe – those who can't speak and are used for healing, and those like Luna, who were once Kokiri partners, and can talk. Heh…I really should have made that clearer, so sorry! Plus, I have no idea what happened in that little meeting with the fairies in the hollow thing. That whole section just refused to be written for ages…sorry if it seems forced. However, I believe daisy chain making does, of course, make up for it all._

_Soda _


	21. Together: A Problem Shared

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Goddess damned muses have delighted in being uncooperative recently. I've only just managed to pin a few of them down again – hope they're doing their job right… Well, anyway, in the last chapter all the A/U stuff really began to take off. Rufus was stolen away by the Kokiri who were intent on charming him so that he would do their bidding. It was only the quick work of a small and brave fairy that managed to save him from this terrible fate. Shadow's emotions are fighting for free reign, as she begins to view Rufus as more than a mere charge to take care of. And, the great Wolfos, Lord of the forest and Kokiri, has been revealed to our two adventurers. _

_Stuff in : single colons and italics : are thoughts, stuff in italics mere dreams or visions. If Dragmire appears again, he'll be in / slashes /._

_(Extra long chapter to make up for the lack of stuff from me for a while. Sorry folks, but other fandoms, and the university search has put my fanfiction writing on hold for a bit, and may continue to do so for some time.)_

_

* * *

_

**_Together: A problem shared…_**

_I awoke to find that dawn was just beginning to grace the sky. The leaves above glowed golden in the growing light, and the forest was oddly calm. The light of the sun had somewhat diminished that of the twinkling fairies slumbering in the boughs of the rosebush that sheltered us – nonetheless, they retained their beauty. Looking over, I could see Rufus spread-eagled across the fragrant grass, mouth slightly open and snoring periodically. It made me smile to myself – yet again, he reminded me sorely of Firen. _

_Sitting up, I cast a sleepy eye over the glade, finding the sight of so many bright flowers thriving in this gloomy place a great comfort. Even the tiny pang of painful remembrance brought on by the sight of the blood red roses did little to spoil my mood. I studied one of the trailing vines of these very flowers, seeing how the vine twisted and coiled around all the other flowers with care, allowing each of its fellows enough space to grow comfortably. The vine grew up the side of the valley and there joined its interwoven band of others, creating a protective barrier against the outside. _

_The sight that met my eyes was so terrible, that I could scarcely believe it at first. A patch of the border of roses seemed to have wilted away; vibrant blossoms drooped, turned black with decay. Evidence that they had been cut was shown in the shredded leaves and the clean path (about two feet wide) between the hollow and the forest. Cautiously, I shuffled over to Rufus on hands and knees, intending to shake him awake. _

_I reached out tentatively and drew back when he suddenly rolled over away from me. Then, I tried again, latching onto his shoulders and shaking him. The Hylian didn't wake, instead mumbling something incoherent in his sleep. I repeated the action, a little more roughly, to no effect. "He won't wake." I started, letting go of the boy in shock. His head banged rather loudly against the floor, making me wince in empathy. _

_Dreading what I'd see when I turned around (for I _knew_ that voice), I did so slowly, eyes cast to the daisy strewn grass underfoot. "Look at me." The voice was commanding; though cool and educated, there was an undercurrent of barely suppressed rage. I struggled and managed to disobey for a few seconds, before my fear got the better of me. "Very good. Now, your name." Green eyes bore into mine, daring me not to answer the question. My answer was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back to stay silent. "Do not try my patience. Your name, Sheikah-borne."_

_I refused the urge to tell him, knowing it must be an enchantment. For some reason, it seemed that if I would just tell him, then everything would be all right once more… _:It's a lie.:_ Instead of giving in, I focused on the action of standing up. It made little difference – he still towered over me just as he had before. His black tail twitched in agitation, and his teeth shone as he drew back his lips in a warning snarl. I nudged Rufus with the toe of my boot, wondering why he wouldn't wake up – surely the furred newcomer had been loud enough to wake him. _

"_Your name!" he tried a third time, this time taking a step forwards, hand moving warningly towards the sabre slung over his broad shoulders. It took a great effort to find words other than 'Shadow' to speak, but somehow, I managed._

"_You're the newcomer – perhaps I'd be justified in asking for _your_ name first?" I was surprised at how much tension this released, registering that he looked shocked. However, he managed to hide it quickly enough; he hooked the thumb of his idle (left) hand in his belt of glass bottles. My eyes followed the movement, once again seeing those dying fairies trapped forever in their glassy prisons. I frowned, and sought out his face once more; the intelligent eyes in such a wild face were haunting and disconcerting. _

_Suddenly, a smile broke across his face – it looked almost as terrifying as the snarl had! "I see my visions haven't lied… Finally, a worthy adversary." He unhooked his thumb from the belt of bottles, and brushed it across the chain of metal and bones that kept his sabre on his back. Now that I was closer, I was able to see that some of the bones looked suspiciously…well…Hylian. "So many have tried, and failed in their endeavours here," he observed airily. "Now you have come such a very long way, for a very different quest. All for such a little trinket." Just as suddenly as the smile had come, it left once more. "Yet, I think, you shall not gain it. It's mine. Dropped into my land. And the only way you shall have it, is if I die." He glared at me, eyes flashing, "And I do not think that will happen, do you?"_

"_I couldn't say, one way or the other," I managed to answer, as one of the bottles that had been dull at his waist, now shone with an almost blinding light. I stared in wonderment. _:Surely, it…can't be.: _But it was – a giant pearl, housed in a bottle much bigger than all of the others slung around his waist. I forgot everything else as I gazed at the stunning thing, the power of the Goddesses wrapping me in a safe blanket._

"_Your name?" he purred it this time, caressing the bottle that held the pearl lovingly. _

"_Uh…my name is…" I shook my head, trying to clear the haze. _

"_Yes?" he prompted silkily. "I am the one they call Lord."_

"_I'm Shadow," I told him, realising only too late what a mistake I'd made. He just laughed._

"_I shall remember that."_

I jerked awake, eyes meeting a shaft of bright sunlight. "'Morning!" I jumped up so that I was crouched on my legs, a dagger in each hand. "Hey! Calm down!" I let my weapons drop, coming face to face with a smiling Rufus. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you there… I've been up for a few minutes, and I wasn't sure if I should wake you." His blue eyes fell to the daggers in my hands, and he added wryly, "I guess it's a good thing I didn't, eh?"

I put my weapons away, frowning to myself. Outwardly, I managed to offer a shaky, "Yeah," to the Hylian. Inwardly, my mind was racing, piecing together everything I'd seen to try and make some sense of it all. It had definitely been the very same Wolfos we'd seen in Luna's imagery; and he obviously knew enough magic to be able to seek me out. _:But what's so important about a name:_ I wondered, shivering as my eyes darted to the roses that made up the border. They were just as vibrant as ever, thriving in the slanting rays of the early morning sunshine.

"Are you all right?" the Hylian asked me. "It isn't…_you know who_ again…is it?" his expression was so serious that it made me want to laugh. I settled for shaking my head instead, grinning underneath my cowl.

"No, it isn't _him_," I assured the lad. "It was just…just a nightmare," I said, deciding that was probably the best explanation to give him. He nodded, face sympathetic. "Nothing to worry about," I assured him.

"Well, if you're sure…" he trailed off, accepting my nod as an answer. "OK…" he inhaled deeply, and let the air out in a loud sigh. "What do you reckon we should do now?"

"That's a very good question." I chewed my lip, wondering whether it would be best to go after the Koroks first, or the Pearl. _:But…the Wolfos has the Pearl…we couldn't possibly… But, we have to have it… How can we fight him: _I was saved from having to follow this train of thought any further, by the sudden reappearance of Luna and Phoebus. The sunny yellow fairy was tugging the smaller grey one along by the arm; it seemed she was putting up quite a struggle. I raised my eyebrow, and looked over at Rufus, who was looking similarly nonplussed.

"Look, will you just – come – over – here!" Phoebus' grunted, finally managing to tug Luna so that they were both hovering in the air in front of us. She hissed something incredibly rude back at him (thankfully, I doubt Rufus would have heard it with his Hylian hearing) and then painted a forced smile on her face.

"'Morning."

"'Morning!" Rufus and I answered at the same time. We caught one another's eyes, and exchanged amused smiles. Luna hastily elbowed Phoebus in the side, making the sunbeam coloured fairy wince and double over. She then smiled sweetly at us, flinching as the other fairy managed to get his revenge by poking her viciously in the side.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, batting him away. "Get off!" Phoebus just smirked, and flitted off so that he was just out of her reach. She grumbled, and then looked at the two of us again. "Sorry," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the other fairy. "He was meant to be telling you about this, but he's too much of a _baby_ to do it alone!" she accentuated the word baby, making Phoebus scowl.

"Shut up! You're only a few decades older!"

"And a good few centuries wiser, you fool!" she rounded on him, and he cowered slightly as her white/grey light surged momentarily. Rufus leant over and gently tapped me on the shoulder.

"Do you reckon they're related or something?" he whispered, regarding the fairies (who were now arguing rather loudly).

"Hrm…I don't know…" I answered, appraising Luna and Pheobus. "They don't look much alike…" It was true; the grey fairy was clad in an elegant, floor length dress of pure white, and had hair of much the same colour. Her limbs were willowy and graceful, and her eyes large and doe-like – all in all, she was rather a pretty little thing. Phoebus, on the other hand, with his bold colouring, stocky build and flame-like hair was almost her complete opposite. Her clothes were neat and orderly – his were comprised of a pair of over-large trousers, held up by a thick belt, and a shirt that lay open, to reveal a tanned chest. Beautiful, but in a different way…

Suddenly, it clicked, and I grinned in disbelief. _:Surely not… But…they do say opposites attract…: _Rufus noticed my smile and asked, "What is it?"

"I think they're a couple," I murmured. Almost as though to prove my point, the argument suddenly ended. Both fairies looked hopelessly at one another, breathing heavily after their tirade. Then, Phoebus' face cracked in a grin, and Luna let out a delicate giggle. Shaking her head, she drifted over to him, and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"You great fool," she said fondly. He just stuck out his tongue. She laughed again at this, and brushed a hand across his bare chest in a parody of a blow. He caught the pale hand in his tanned ones, and drew her close to him. Then, the two fairies' lights brightened a little, obscuring our view of them…which was probably a good thing. _:I dread to think what the boy would feel like, having to see such displays of affection…: _I just grinned, being reminded of the scandal a few years back when Firen's eldest sister had been courted by a Hylian man. His parents hadn't been happy with her, but had been forced to accept it when she announced their engagement a few months later…

When a couple of minutes had passed, and the fairies still hadn't broken apart, I gave a small cough, slightly embarrassed to have to break them up. Instantly, the lights dimmed and grey and yellow separated guiltily. "Oh…uh…heh…sorry about that," Phoebus apologised for the both of them, though his roguish wink told us that he wasn't at all sorry. "But, you know how it is…" he glanced over at Luna, who blushed furiously.

"Stop it, _you_," she said warningly. Then, sobering, she returned to what it was she'd probably been intending to say before the fight started. "Anyway, what we needed to tell you was, that we sent out some scouts a few days ago, when we heard the news that some Koroks had been blown off course and become stranded here…" she took a deep breath, and looked to Phoebus; perhaps for confirmation. He nodded encouragingly. "They came back only a few hours ago, with news of the Koroks' whereabouts."

"Really?" Rufus pitched in eagerly before I had the chance. "Where are they?" he was already on his feet, hand straying to the sword across his back, eager to start the day's adventure. Luna chewed her lip, looking over at the yellow fairy-man once more.

"That's the – ah – problem that we needed to – speak to you about," Phoebus admitted. "You see…they have been captured."

"By the Lord?" I asked, thinking that that must of course be why he had the Pearl. Luna frowned and shook her head,

"No, not by the Lord. By the Kokiri," she corrected me. I blinked, not fully registering the connotations of this. Rufus, however, looked both shocked and afraid. "Rufus will know exactly where they're being kept as well."

"How do you figure that out?" I asked, finding it rather rude of them to place so much on the Hylian's shoulders!

"The tree houses!" Rufus exclaimed, fixing his gaze pointedly on Luna, who nodded.

"Got it in one."

"Which means…we'll have to go right to their camp…" he surmised, look of shock disappearing, and fear completely taking over. "But, their enchantments! What if they manage to do it again…we might never escape!" Phoebus flew upwards so that he was on Rufus' eyelevel.

"Ah, but with the two of you, it will be easier," he told us. "If you work together, you should be able to keep one another from becoming enchanted." The Hylian lad relaxed a little, though still looked concerned.

"Enchantments?" I inquired, looking now to the yellow fairy, who seemed to be more in control than his partner at that moment. He looked down at me, and I got to my feet to save him the flight. "What sort of enchantments?"

"Well, there are many – if they touch you, they can weave a small bit of magic which makes you forget," he gave me an appraising look, "you, however, needn't fear that. Your magic is greater than theirs, and won't be contended… But there are other things too; food, drink, singing, even their fire…" he counted the things off on his fingers. Rufus just shrank a little; I saw Luna go over to him and give him a reassuring pat on the tip of his ear.

"I see," I nodded, perplexed by the huge array of ways that these 'Kokiri' could manage to ensnare us to do their bidding. "But, you say it should be easier with the two of us?"

"Yes, it will be easier," Phoebus said reassuringly, with a fervent nod to stress the point. "But you _mustn't_, under any circumstances, go your separate ways. It's when you're alone that they'll come for you." Rufus and I nodded; the Hylian was probably thinking the same as I was. _:I knew I shouldn't have left him alone on that branch. But, he couldn't move…I… I should have been faster at least – or taken him with me. Stupid, stupid: _

"However, before you get scared out of your wits," Luna joined the conversation once again, "remember that they're most powerful at night time. Just like the Lord, the daylight seems to make them weaker. I don't know why…but it does."

"Which is _why_ we wanted you to stay here until daybreak," Phoebus added, looking pointedly at me. I flushed and averted my gaze to Rufus, who seemed to have calmed himself down. The lad's forehead was furrowed in thought, and I waited with interest to see what he was about to say. I was surprised at what came out of his mouth;

"The Lord has the Pearl, doesn't he?"

"Pardon?" Luna and Phoebus echoed in confused unison. Rufus ignored them, and looked directly at me.

"It wasn't a nightmare you had – otherwise, I wouldn't have had it as well… I wouldn't know, would I?" I swallowed, unable to string so much as two words together in my head. "I saw him – he had it with him…and he spoke to you, but I couldn't hear what he said…and I couldn't move. Just lie on the ground and watch…" it was like the words were dawning in his mind only a moment before spilling over his lips; he looked deep in concentration. "The only way to get it, is to kill him, isn't it?" he demanded. As soon as he'd said this, he shook his head slightly, and flushed deeply, looking a little astonished by what he'd just said. He repeated his last sentence experimentally, "The only way to get it…we have to kill him, don't we?" I just nodded, dumbfounded.

_:How did he _know?_ He doesn't have enough magic to see visions, so how could he have seen…: _I fixed the Hylian with a searching stare, wondering if he had some magical talents that I had overlooked – however, I couldn't sense anything that was different to before… "Yes, we'll have to kill him," I told him softly. He nodded, not looking at all shocked by this news. I felt oddly as though I'd just witnessed the boy grow up immensely fast right before my eyes. He looked weary, like a travel-worn adult adventurer, rather than the bouncy Hylian lad that had greeted me that morning. _:This 'Lord' has a lot to answer for: _I decided.

* * *

"_I'm Shadow."_

"_I shall remember that."_

I woke up, the look of triumph on the huge black Wolfos' face haunting me. Panicking, I looked around for Shadow, and felt relieved when I saw that she was still slumbering a few feet away from me. Frowning, I pieced together what little I could remember of my dream – bits of it were slipping away from my memory quickly, and I tried to catch hold of them as best I could. _:He has the Pearl…but what was it about? The rest of it…Shadow was there, and…: _I bit my lip, frustrated as the whole dream was just beyond my grasp. _:Come on, remember: _I screwed up my eyes, straining to catch the elusive dream, but it was gone.

Shadow moaned softly, and rolled over, the hand supporting her head curled into a fist. I wondered briefly whether she was having a nightmare or something; this made me remember the forgotten dream. I let out an exasperated sigh… _:Maybe I should wake her up? She might remember it for the both of us…: _I decided that it probably wasn't a good idea however…she probably needed the sleep, after searching for me the previous night.

Suddenly, the Sheikah girl woke up, crimson eyes snapping open. "'Morning," I greeted her, the sound of a lone bird singing above making me slightly more cheerful. (In the back of my mind, I was awed that the bird could manage to survive in this bleak place.) She gasped, and jumped up into a battle stance, daggers in her hands quicker that I could see. "Hey! Calm down!" I said, worrying that she might attack me or something! But, at these words, she shook her head slightly, and looked over at me. There was still that startled look in her eyes from when she'd woken up, and I apologised, "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you there… I've been up for a few minutes, and I wasn't sure if I should wake you."

Looking down at the daggers in her hands again, I joked, "I guess it's a good thing I didn't, eh?" She quickly put her daggers away, though the haunted look didn't leave her.

"Yeah," she murmured, voice sounding distant, like she was preoccupied with something else. All thoughts of the half-remembered dream about the big Wolfos left my head, as another terrible thing replaced it. _:What if it's…that man again? Ganondorf…: _It was pretty much the same look she'd had when he'd tried to make her burn the Great Deku Tree. Nonchalantly, I made sure that my arm was in a position to grab my sword (just in case). Then, tentatively, I asked,

"Are you all right? It isn't…_you know who _again…is it?" It felt wrong to say his name out loud. Maybe it'd provoke him… She just shook her head, and I saw her eyes brighten a little.

"No, it isn't _him. _It was just…just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about," she said, and I tried my best to look sympathetic, even though I was burning to ask her about it. _:What if it's the same one? I bet she remembers more because of all those visions and things! But I can't just ask her outright. What if it isn't? I'd look right a right idiot then, going on about weird dreams and things when it really was 'just a nightmare'.: _I winced inside as I probed for more information,

"Well, if you're sure…" She nodded firmly. "OK… What do you reckon we should do now?" I had no idea where to start! The island was huge, and now we had to worry about not only the normal Wolfos, but the Kokiri, and this 'Lord' as well! And, we had no idea where the Koroks might be either… _:It's hopeless.:_

"That's a very good question," Shadow acknowledged, looking distracted again. Her eyes glazed over for a few seconds; the (very loud) entrance of Luna and Phoebus snapped her back to reality. She looked up at the approaching fairies with vague interest, as did I. I could see that Phoebus was dragging Luna along by the arm; she was struggling hard; I had to contain a laugh at the look of annoyance on her face.

"Look, will you just – come – over – here!" The two balls of light stopped right in front of Shadow and me. I cowered a little at the furious expression on the grey fairy's face, which intensified when she hissed something darkly to Phoebus. (I didn't catch what she said, but it probably wasn't very nice.) Then, Luna turned around and greeted us with a strained,

"'Morning."

Shadow and I returned her greeting simultaneously, and then grinned at one another. Whilst we exchanged the look, the grey and yellow fairy had a brief fight. "OW! Get off!" Luna shrieked at the yellow fairy, who just flew away out of her reach and pulled a face at her. "Sorry," she apologised, gesturing to Phoebus. "He was meant to telling you about this, but he's too much of a _baby_ to do it alone!"

"Shut up! You're only a few decades older!" Phoebus contested, sounding outraged. I blinked in surprise. _:Decades? But…that's ages:_

"And a good few centuries wiser, you fool!" _:Centuries: _I spluttered internally, scarcely able to believe was I was hearing. Did this mean that the small grey fairy I'd released from a bottle was hundreds of years old? She only looked about the same age as Sue-Bell back on Outset – and she was only about twenty or something like that! As usual, Shadow didn't seem shocked by anything that was going on; instead, she was watching the fight with placid amusement. Deciding that I didn't want to ask stupid questions, I reached over and tapped Shadow on the shoulder,

"Do you reckon they're related…or something?" The way the two fairies were fighting reminded me of Orca and Sturgeon, who always seemed to be at each other's throats about something or other. Grinning, I remembered the occasion when Orca had been training me in sword fighting, and we'd made the house shake so much, that all the books fell off Sturgeon's shelves! I'd never thought the phrase 'hopping mad' made much sense, until I saw Sturgeon come to complain to Orca!

"Hrm…I don't know…They don't look much alike," Shadow answered, studying the two fairies closely. I looked as well, once again appreciating just why people would want to keep fairies in bottles. _:It may be cruel, but they're just so pretty…all…shiny and sparkly and stuff…: _I knew that Aryll would have given her right arm to be where I was right now; she'd always loved stories about fairies and Hyrule before it was flooded. We used to plan all these adventures… _:I'd give everything to have her here with us:_ Shadow's face had changed from pensive to amused again.

"What is it?" She leant over slightly, and muttered,

"I think they're a couple." I was ready to correct her on this matter, when the yelling stopped, and Luna and Phoebus started speaking softly to one another. Next thing I knew, they were hugging, and then their lights got so bright that we couldn't see them anymore. _:Ah. OK, I think she may be right.: _When the two hadn't broken it up a couple of minutes later, Shadow coughed, and they sprang apart guiltily. I suppressed a laugh at their guilty faces.

"Oh…uh…heh…sorry about that…But, you know how it is…" Phoebus apologised; his hair looked a little bit ruffled, and I could see a trace of Luna's pale lipstick at the corner of his mouth. Luna was patting her hair down, and giggled girlishly,

"Stop it, _you_." Then, when her hair was a flat as it was going to get, and Phoebus had straightened his clothes as best he could. (I decided to not even start thinking about what that light could have obscured. Briefly, I wished, I hadn't let Sturgeon teach me about the 'birds and the bees', as he called it…) "Anyway," I could see Luna's blissful smile fall away from her features, "what we needed to tell you was, that we sent some scouts out a few days ago…when we heard news that the Koroks had been blown off course and become stranded here…" she looked over her shoulder at Phoebus, who smiled grimly and nodded. I leant forwards, eager to hear what they'd found. "They came back only a few hours ago, with news of the Korok's whereabouts." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I jumped to my feet,

"Really? Where are they?" We'd already wasted too much time, what with one thing and another…we needed to get going. _:After all, didn't the Great Deku Tree say that if the Koroks weren't back by the end of the week, that bad things would happen? What was it he said…'dire consequences', that was it.: _

"That's the – ah – problem that we needed to – speak to you about…" Phoebus interjected heavily. "You see…they have been captured." I dropped my hand from where I'd been reaching to get my sword.

"By the Lord?" Shadow asked, voicing what I'd been just about to say. But, as soon as she said it, Luna frowned, and waved her hands.

"No, not by the Lord. By the Kokiri." I physically recoiled from the name of them, remembering how close I'd been to… Shivering, I forced myself to cast my mind back to their camp; Luna was staring pointedly at me. "Rufus will know exactly where they're being kept as well." I frowned, levelling her pale gaze and trying to figure out what she was getting at. Shadow said, indignantly,

"How do you figure that out?"

_:Click! Of course: _"The tree houses!"

"Got it in one," Luna affirmed my guess. The shock at hearing this faded away quickly, and my stomach writhed when I realised what this meant we'd have to do. I searched Luna's face, hoping that she'd have some big trick or plan hidden up her sleeve. There was no indication that she had anything of the sort…

"Which means…we'll have to go right to their camp… But…their enchantments! What if they manage to do it again? We might never escape!" I could picture it already in my mind – the Kokiri would make us into slaves for them. We'd do horrible things…capture all the fairies and hurt them… Hurt and kill anyone who strayed onto the island… Take prisoners, like they'd taken the Koroks… _:We can't – mustn't go back there… I _won't.Phoebus soared over so that he was right in front of my face. His face was drawn, but he managed a comforting smile at me,

"Ah, but with the two of you, it will be easier. If you work together, you should be able to keep one another from being enchanted." I knew that he was saying this for my benefit more than anything else. That didn't make it any less helpful though…I relaxed slightly; he'd lived in this forest for a long time… I trusted that he probably knew this place even better than I knew Outset!

Next to me, Shadow rose to her feet so that she could speak to Phoebus as well. "Enchantments? What sort of enchantments?" The vibrant yellow fairy immediately ran off a whole list of different ways that you could become enchanted. I felt sick as he went through them, remembering the food…the fire…there had even been some music, now that I thought about it. _:They used almost every form of enchantment on me for Gods sakes: _That meant they must have wanted me under their spell very much indeed. Luna floated over and patted me on the ear – I guess it was supposed to be comforting.

Shadow continued to talk to Phoebus, further questioning him about the Kokiri. The sunbeam-like fairy answered her concisely, with his partner helping him flesh out the answer. As soon as I heard the word 'Lord', my mind started working overtime again, reaching out to snatch at a few parts of the dream from earlier that floated to the top of my mind. Frowning, I stuck the little fragments together like a mental jigsaw, until I had enough pieces in place to see the overall picture. When everyone had stopped talking, I said my findings aloud.

"The Lord has the Pearl, doesn't he?" as soon as I said it, the rest of the dream came flooding back, images hitting my mind like so many punches. The two fairies questioned my declaration, both looking confused. I ignored them and looked straight at Shadow, somehow _knowing_ that she too had seen what I'd seen. "It wasn't a nightmare you had – otherwise, I wouldn't have had it as well… I wouldn't know, would I?" The words were flooding into my mind and out of my mouth without check. "I saw him…he had it with him. And, he spoke to you…but…I couldn't hear what he said…and I couldn't move. Just lie on the ground…and watch." I paused, a few more tiny pieces of information filling the remaining gaps in my picture. "The only way to get it, is to kill him, isn't it?"

Shadow looked a little taken aback by the force in my voice – I was quite surprised as well. Wrenching myself away from the completed puzzle, I felt my cheeks burn. All three of them were staring at me. Wonderingly, I repeated what I'd just said, the connotations dawning on me. "The only way to get it; we…we have to kill him, don't we?" The words dulled my fear, and I felt my resolve to do this strengthen when my eyes fell on the daisy-chain around the Sheikah's neck. _:This is for Aryll.:_

After regarding me with an unreadable look, Shadow nodded. "Yes, we'll have to kill him." I nodded in return. In complete silence, I turned and led her towards the edge of the flower-filled clearing, the grey and yellow fairy in tow. I came upon the very same spot through which I'd entered the previous night. As I stepped over the rose-barrier that divided the two sections of forest, the cold of the early morning bit through my clothes. My breath misted before my face, and I shivered as the protection of the place died. _:We're on our own.: _My indigo-clad companion took up place next to me, evidently waiting for me to make the next move. I was about to forge ahead, when Luna flew down and tugged on my ear.

"Rufus…just…some last advice," she murmured, looking furtively around. "Stick to the path…you will find one to their camp already made," she indicated to a rough trail beginning a couple of dozen yards away, under the dark trees. "And stay on the ground; they prefer to use the trees for travel." I nodded, clenching my jaw and tensing my sword arm, trying to build up my confidence for the trials ahead. "Good luck…if you need us…call…" With that, she and Phoebus fled back to the glade, and watched us from the inside of their little world.

"Shall we?" Shadow looked sidelong at me, and then to the trail. I squared my shoulders, and then started off down the path that would lead us to the Kokiri…and hopefully to the Koroks as well. She followed close behind me, and I felt glad of her company. The forest closed in around us as soon as we got onto the trail, and I couldn't imagine myself doing this alone. _:Just think what it would be like if she was still following you without being seen? That would drive you crazy in this place…think there was something about to attack you all the time.: _The mere knowledge that I wasn't alone was probably the only thing that was keeping me going. _:If it weren't for her, I'd probably be running off home right now: _I stopped and frowned, before quickly amending this thought and scolding myself. _:For Aryll as well, stupid.:_

Looking back over my shoulder, I was unable to see the clearing anymore through the trees. Shadow followed my line of sight; I could see that she was all tensed up again. I wondered whether I should say something… I didn't… She nodded comradely to me, looking quickly up when the branches overhead rustled…it was nothing more than a bird. _:I think I'm going to be mad by the end of all this: _I decided with resignation. _:I hope we get the Koroks out in time for that ceremony…: _

…

A couple of tense hours later, we were finally in sight of the Kokiri's camp. Both Shadow and I had spent the entire journey ducking from one patch of cover to another; bushes, undergrowth, dead tree-stumps – anything that could serve as a hiding place was good enough. Each time we heard a noise, we'd stand close together and search the surrounding area for enemies; most of the time, it was only birds…but there were a few times when we had to quickly duck down and hide from a small band of marauding Kokiri. Thankfully, the Wolfos didn't much like sunlight…

Now, however, we were both lying full length on our stomachs in a thick carpet of lavender plants. They were flowerless and without fragrance – I was only able to tell by the shape of the leaves what they were. Shadow was peering through squinted eyes at the camp below (we'd managed to come upon it from higher ground, so had a bird's eye view). Not much was happening; there were a few Kokiri dawdling around the small village, carrying buckets of water to and fro, tending a chicken-coop that I hadn't noticed the night before, or just standing around talking. "Eight in total," Shadow murmured, dropping her eyes and turning to look at me. "I could probably get in and out with little trouble…"

"But-!" she shushed me, and looked anxiously at the village. No one seemed to have noticed. "Sorry," I said, lowering my volume. "But…I can't let you do it all alone!" She raised an eyebrow, and I searched around desperately for something to stop her doing this alone. "They told us to stick together!" The Sheikah girl flinched a little at this, a guilty flush rapidly spreading over her face, to the very tips of her ears. "Oh, no, I didn't mean…" _:Oh dear.:_

* * *

"They told us to stick together!" Rufus hissed. I checked myself, and blushed hotly under my facemask. _:Of course…how could I have forgotten so quickly: _The Hylian must have noticed my look; "Oh, no, I didn't mean…" he trailed off hopelessly. I just offered a wry smile.

"Don't worry. You're right to remind me." I looked back down at the village, studying the network of ropes and bridges that connected all of the tree houses below. It was brilliant – the construction was amazing! _:You're supposed to be saving Koroks, not admiring Kokiri handiwork.: _"So…any ideas?"

"Want me to be honest?" He said, returning my wry look with one of his own. "Nope." I frowned.

"Me neither." We both turned to look down at the village again, and I very nearly had a heart attack when we came face to face with one of the little Kokiri! It was a small boy with red hair and ruddy cheeks to match. He was smiling genially, and I felt my mouth twitch at the corners in answer. Rufus had already withdrawn his sword, and I saw the boy's eyes fall to it. His smile fell a little, and he reached out as though to touch me on the shoulder; instinctively, I drew back. This time, instead of looking annoyed, he laughed softly; then he flumped down onto the leaves that strew the ground. What happened next was rather odd…

As he fell, his body seemed to collapse in on itself, so that it shrank to first a half, and then a quarter of its original size. I held my breath, and quickly conjured a fire-spell to the forefront of my mind, just in case. The 'Kokiri' (I was beginning to think it probably wasn't) continued to shrink, until finally, it was roughly the same size as… "Phoebus!" Rufus gasped next to me – the small fairy shook off the Kokiri-face and was once again the yellow joker from earlier.

"Hello there!" he greeted us, as though Kokiri changing into fairies was a normal day-to-day occurrence. I glared at him, worried that he was going to give us away. Thankfully, he daintily picked his way through the leaves, and came to rest in the lavender alongside Rufus and I. He dulled his glow as far as he could, and then beckoned that we both come closer. I slithered over so that the Hylian could see the fairy, and kept glancing down to the village to check that we were still hidden.

"What are you doing here?" Rufus asked incredulously; mercifully, he kept his voice low.

"Well…about half an hour after you left, Luna started to panic. And, well…Luna panicking isn't pretty," he gazed off into the middle distance with a fond smile. "To cut a long story short, she sent me after you two…then called me back and rallied a whole load of the others to come and help as well."

"Help?" I echoed, unable to keep the note of doubt from my voice. He nodded, taking everything in good humour.

"Yes m'lady, help."

"What, exactly, are you going to do?" I asked curiously, exchanging a sidelong glance with Rufus. The small yellow fairy flashed me a toothy grin – then, suddenly, there was a small Kokiri boy lying in the carpet of lavender with us.

"I plan to cause a scene," he said; seeing Rufus' confused face, he amended, "a distraction!" I was still nonplussed.

"How?" Phoebus just tapped his nose and grinned that infuriating grin at me.

"Ah, but that would be telling! Just watch…when they're far enough away, get in and free the Koroks. Once they're free of the tree houses, they can fly to safety – and you two should get away as quickly as possible…I'm not sure how long we can draw them off for." At that moment, it was possible to see through his brave, cheeky façade, to the fear beneath. I understood this small, courageous fairy, and decided that he wasn't so bad after all; even his poor attempts at humour became acceptable.

"That sounds brilliant!" Rufus breathed, reaching out and laying his hand over the clenched fist of the 'Kokiri-Phoebus'. "Thank you." The sincere thanks came from both of us. The fairy just nodded and without another word, crawled out from the lavender. Then, he slithered down towards the village, bearing left – in the direction of the path that led from here to the glade. I watched until he was out of sight, and then focused on my hearing, tuning into what was happening in the settlement below.

I heard Phoebus blundering loudly through the undergrowth to announce his arrival. (Next to me, I could see Rufus straining to hear out of the corner of my eye). Then, he hailed the Kokiri in the village with an excited cry. "Hey! _HEY!_ Come on, I've seen the fairies – they're out of the circle!" At once, all of the Kokiri dropped what they were doing, and ran towards where Phoebus stood (I could just about see him by shuffling forwards). There was confused chatter, during which the fairy started to lead them away.

Then, there was a loud battle-cry, followed by the sounds of many small running footsteps. These quickly diminished in the dark forest, until they were no more than a memory of sound. When this happened, I turned to the Hylian. He looked pale, and I put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "They'll be fine." He nodded. "Come on then." I rose cautiously into a crouch, ears pricked and eyes wide in case of trouble – thankfully, I couldn't sense anything near enough to pose a threat. Still crouched, I made my way to the edge of our small cliff, sat down on the edge of it, and then slid down the steep angle sideways, right foot forwards, left hand trailing in the dirt behind me to keep me steady. I stumbled slightly when I reached the bottom but managed to stay on my feet. A few of the chickens clucked in alarm; there was no one left to tend them.

Behind me, I heard Rufus curse, and then heard a small thump, followed by an indelicate grunt. Turning, I suppressed a laugh; the Hylian was sliding down the 70o (or thereabouts) slope on his backside – his tunic trailed behind him, exposing his white tights to the world. When he reached the bottom, he came to an abrupt stop. Wincing, he stood up, rubbing his backside (which was stained brown and green). "How is it that you always manage to avoid doing stuff like that!" He said enviously. I just shrugged, offering,

"Training," as my answer. He nodded, and dropped his hands from nursing his behind.

"Yeah…" His eyes moved around the village without resting on anything, until they came to a ladder leading up to the nearest of the tree houses. "Let's start here – if you go to the other end, we can meet up in the-"

"We're staying together," I cut across him, taking a few steps towards the ladder and then looking back at him. "Right?" He nodded, a relieved smile spreading across his face,

"Right." He followed me over to the ladder. Reaching out for the highest rung I could reach – the sixth from the ground – I flinched as a familiar feeling prickled against my skin. Drawing my hand back, I saw that the old bruises and cuts from Dragon Roost had reappeared. _:Dark magic burns.: _"Shadow?" the lad had caught sight of my injuries. "What's wrong – are you all right?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," I assured him, reaching out again to try my luck. The same thing happened. "Hang on." Experimentally, I raised both my hands, and held them palm outwards about an inch from the rung, hovering just outside the magical boundary. _:Leave, other magic – let me pass. Go, go – I'm stronger – let me pass. Allow me through.: _My eyes were closed and chewed my bottom lip in concentration, hoping against hope that this would work. _:Let me pass: _

And, to my great surprise, I felt the other magic dissolve away into nothing. I stared at my bloodied hands; I hadn't done anything like that before in my life. Destroying magic is generally frowned upon – and back home, they didn't teach you how to do it. I'd learnt what little I knew of the practice from little snippets of advanced text books that I could remember reading on rainy days when the training grounds were closed… _:I never thought I'd get a chance to do it – and I never thought it would actually work! Thank the Gods it did though.: _Even Rufus seemed to feel the difference; he looked quizzically at me, and observed,

"It just got warmer…what happened?"

"There was some magic on the ladder – I destroyed it," I answered shortly, conscious again of how little time we potentially had. The Hylian nodded to show that he understood, and then indicated the ladder.

"Well, ladies first I suppose," he smiled disarmingly, and I just shook my head. The idea of myself as a lady was both amusing and absurd… Without the magic on the rungs, it was easy enough to scale the ladder, and soon, I was standing on a platform of well-worn wood, twenty feet above the forest floor. From up here, it was difficult not to appreciate just how intricate the network of bridges, walkways and houses was. It was like a whole different world up here; up in the canopy, there was much more light filtering through the trees, bathing the whole area in a serene light. Had we not been in such a hurry, I had the feeling that I could stay here all day, just studying the movement of the dappled light across the village.

Rufus hauled himself up onto the platform next to me, grumbling something under his breath about 'dratted climbing.' I smiled for a moment, and was about to take a step forwards, when my senses alerted me to something dire. _:It was that blasted magic – shielding things from my senses… I should have thought of that…: _Truth be told, I had no idea whether this new presence _had_ been hidden by the magic on the ladder, or whether I'd just missed it… _:What does it matter? There's still one of _them_ left here, which is going to make this difficult: _

Whispering, I told Rufus, "Draw your sword." He did so without questioning me, seeming to understand the need for quiet. Tip-toeing silently across the wooden walkway, I motioned for him to follow me. Hopefully, Kokiri hearing wasn't as good as Sheikah, because I could hear the wood creak with every one of the Hylian's steps. We were moving towards one of the many dwellings in the village, where the lone Kokiri was. Judging by the fact that the Koroks had not yet managed to escape, it seemed only reasonable that they were being guarded…

So, with two and two, I managed to come up with a reasonable four.

* * *

I followed Shadow across the swaying walkway towards one of the larger tree houses. She had her whip in her hands, and I had my sword out. I could see that her ears were pricked again, and I guessed that this rescue wasn't going to be as easy as we'd hoped. _:As long as we can get the Koroks out, I'll be happy: _I decided, thinking again about the disturbing dream that had woken me that morning. There was no doubt in my mind that we'd have to meet that great, black Wolfos…but I wanted to put it off for as long as was possible. _:After all, if Shadow's scared of him, then…well…then he must be terrible.: _

The Sheikah suddenly drew to a halt and I nearly bumped straight into her. Luckily, I managed to stop just in time, though my heavy footstep rang out in the still air. She flinched, and then turned to glance at me over her shoulder, finger held to where her lips were hidden beneath her facemask. I nodded, flushing. Then, she motioned towards our destination, pointing me to the left hand side, and then to herself, and then to the right hand side. It was obvious what she meant to do; we'd break up for a few moments, and then meet up again on the other side. My stomach clenched fearfully; she patted me on the shoulder, seeming to understand my hesitation.

I smiled up at her thankfully, and then nodded towards the left side of the dwelling. She patted my shoulder once more, and then turned away, and began to edge along her side of the building. I watched her until she had rounded the corner, and then tried my best to copy her movements. Standing on tiptoe, I shuffled sideways along the wood, back pressed against the wall, sword ready to strike out at any moment. The call of a kargorok sounded high above, and I saw its shadow speed by above the canopy, blotting out the sun for a split second.

Nervously, I fiddled with the daisy that was still stuffed through my buttonhole; it was my only connection to the glade, and I felt comforted to know that it was still there…

A rustling sound close by, followed by a hastily stifled squeal, made me jump. There was a clatter of wood on wood, as scraping noise and a thud; all sounded as though they came from the other side of the house. Forgetting stealth, I pounded along the walkway around the outside of the tree house, and to the entrance on the opposite side. Once there, I paused, and let my tense sword arm drop.

Shadow was standing there, back against the wall, clutching one of the struggling Kokiri in her arms. She had her hand clamped over the small boy's mouth, and was struggling to keep hold of him, as he was kicking her hard in the shins and twisting in her hands like an eel. Immediately, I stuffed my sword into its scabbard, and ran over to help her. I grabbed hold of the boy's legs and restrained them; a small sigh from my travelling companion belied her relief.

The next few moments were ones of confusion, where Shadow slid down the wall into a sitting position, still clutching the Kokiri tightly in her arms. I backed off a little way, and started to search through my bag – finally, I found the grappling hook Medli had given me on Dragon Roost isle. I held it up to show Shadow the rope, and she nodded, wincing as the boy tried to bite her hand. Annoyed, I stalked over and bent down so that I could look him in the face. "Look, you," I hissed, and he froze almost at once, shocked that he was being spoken to. "Just stay still and be quiet, and we won't have to hurt you," I told him, trying to adopt a menacing tone.

It seemed to work, as he suddenly went limp in the Sheikah girl's arms. She gently shifted him from her lap, so that he was on the wooden walkway; she kept her hand over his mouth, however. Which was probably quite a good idea – I didn't fancy the idea of us fighting against all of the Kokiri in order to escape! Hurriedly, I set about using the rope in order to tie him up; I knew my knots weren't exactly perfect, but they'd probably hold…at least, they'd probably hold _long_ enough for us to do what we had to do, and then get out of here. I started off with his legs, and then, with Shadow's help, was able to tie his hands behind his back. Then, finally, it was done. "Rufus, could you hold him for a moment – we need something to keep him quiet," she whispered; the boy whimpered, eyes wide.

I just nodded, and as soon as she'd lifted her hand away, I had mine in place. Almost as soon as the Sheikah had let go, the boy started to struggle again, even biting my hand in his attempts to escape. "Ow!" I gasped, tears starting in my eyes as his small teeth sank into my hand – I didn't draw away though. He glared at me through narrowed eyes – only now did I realise that they were green. _:Just like the eyes of 'the Lord': _I thought, remembering the image Luna had conjured up for us the night before.

Thankfully, Shadow quickly found a roll of bandages in her bag, which would work well as a gag. She leant back over, and the Kokiri calmed once more, eyeing her suspiciously. She didn't seem to notice the look as she found the end of the roll, and then tore off a strip just long enough. Nodding to me, she held the make-shift gag ready in front of the boy's face. "Now," she commanded, and I took my hand away, cradling it to my chest and realising it was actually _bleeding_! She lunged forwards, stuffed the bandage into the Kokiri boy's mouth, and then tied it tight at the back of his head. This done, she sat back on her heels, and looked at me. "I think he's the only one," she informed me, eyes flickering to my hand, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…just bit me, that's all," I answered, clenching and unclenching my fist. It still seemed to be working all right, so I decided to leave it alone for the moment. "So, are the Koroks-?" I nodded my head towards the heavy curtain which acted as a door in the entrance of the tree house.

"I think so, yes," she murmured, also glancing at the doorway. "I'll go first," she decided suddenly, now rising to her feet. I nodded, knowing that arguing with her wouldn't change her mind. Avoiding looking at the Kokiri boy, I stood up as well, hand reaching for my sword but not actually drawing it. Seeing that I was ready, she padded silently over the wood to the doorway. There, she paused, frowned, and bought up her left hand so that it was before her face. She stared at the fingers for a second or two, and then snapped them together. Flames sprang to life at her fingertips, and I took a step back, mouth open.

"How did you do _that?_" I exclaimed, forgetting for a moment the need to be quiet.

"Shh!" she hissed, rushing forwards and grabbing me with her flameless hand, and then dragging me into the shadow of the building. I held my breath, listening intently for the sound of running footsteps…there was nothing. She relaxed slightly beside me, and then turned to face me; expecting to see annoyance, I was surprised to see a smile in her eyes. "It's just magic," she informed me, bringing the ball of flame forwards to show me, "Don't touch it mind," she whispered, the flames lighting up one side of her face and leaving the other side in darkness.

"Magic," I nodded, "of course. What else?" she picked up on my irony and shook her head with a small laugh. "So…" I returned to the task at hand. "I suppose we'd better…"

"Yeah… Right. Follow me, and stay alert."

"Will do."

The inside of the tree house was musty and sparsely furnished. Over half of the room was sealed off with wooden bars that ran from floor to ceiling. On this side of the bars were two chairs, a table, and a small worn rug. On the other side of the bars were small, toddling, leaf-like creatures, who scampered fearfully to the far wall as soon as the light hit their eyes. Looking around, I spied an unlit torch in a bracket on the wall. I grabbed it, and held it out to Shadow, who took it gratefully. It took easily, and burned brightly, illuminating even the darkest corners of the room.

Taking the torch back, I put it back into place. The Sheikah girl had already moved to the bars, and was talking in low, reassuring tones to the terrified Koroks. "Don't be afraid – we're friends, and we're going to get you out of here." She cast a look over her shoulder at me. "Are there any keys? I don't want to have to break the bars unless I really have to…too much noise," she added, answering my unspoken question. Understanding, I scanned the table. Nothing. Then, I checked the simple wooden chairs, looking at the seats and underneath. Again, there was nothing. I was in the process of lifting up the rug, when one of the Koroks found her voice.

"Please," she whispered tremulously, stepping forwards.

"Yes?" Shadow prompted softly so as not to alarm her.

"Please…the boy who was here before…he has them." Now that she said it, I wondered why we hadn't thought to search him before coming in. In the blink of an eye, my companion had darted out of the door, and rushed back in, dragging the Kokiri boy in with her. He looked sourly at me as he was dragged past, and I looked down my nose at him. Deftly, Shadow managed to whip a ring with only one key from his belt, and had inserted it into the heavy metal lock of the cell door. She turned it, resulting in a satisfying click.

There was a collective sigh of gratitude and relief from the imprisoned Koroks. The one who'd spoken before, scurried over to Shadow. "Thank you, oh thank you! Who was it who sent you? Was it the Great Deku Tree? Is he worried about us? How long has it been? We haven't missed the ceremony have we?" I heard Shadow try to start a sentence more than once; however, she was unable to get a word in edgeways. I took a small step forwards, and the Korok immediately fell silent, staring at me uncertainly.

"It's all right – he's a friend as well," the Sheikah assured the leafy creature, inclining her head to me. "And to answer your questions; yes it was, yes he is, I'm not sure, a few days I think, no you haven't." I frowned for a second as I figured out what she'd just said. The Korok also took a few moments to process the information, before nodding.

"Oh," she said quietly. Before she could launch into another barrage of questions, Shadow added,

"You can ask questions later. For now, you need to get out of here. We've drawn the Kokiri off for a while, but they could be back at any moment." The small creatures seemed to rally themselves at this information, and promptly followed us out of the hut and into the sun. The Kokiri boy we left leaning against the wall of the hut, gagged and bound, and looking rather annoyed.

I smiled as I watched them toddle along, feeling glad that at least this part of our mission was nearly over. _:It's just a miracle that there weren't more Kokiri around guarding them…: _Half-expecting some of the eternal children to launch out from the shadows, I allowed my hand to stray to the hilt of my sword. Shadow slowed down ahead of me, and the Koroks followed suit, until they were gathered in a tight knot around the two of us, looking up expectantly. I cast a meaningful look at Shadow, and murmured, "They trust you more – just tell them what to do." She nodded.

"Right…" All of the plant-like creatures turned as one to look up at her. "Well, there's not much I can say, other than make your way back to the Forest Haven as quickly as you can. Don't linger around here – just go, and don't so much as look back."

"Do you want us to go now?" one of them asked unsurely, shuffling its feet.

"Yes," Shadow said firmly, though with a gentle smile tugging at the corners of her eyes. "And be careful!" No more words were needed – the gaggle of Koroks launched into the air as one, a mass of whirling leaves and shivering bodies. I ducked instinctively as one of them swooped into the air close by me; I noticed that the Sheikah girl didn't even flinch.

Together, we watched them zoom upwards, loosing their shapes against the trees and then picking them out again, and then loosing them again. Soon, they were no more than a few small specks above us, and then they were out of sight, beyond the trees and over the sea…

Elated after watching the Koroks make their escape into the skies, Shadow and I walked along the wooden walkways back to the ladder, now free to admire the handiwork of the Kokiri at our leisure. Every so often, Shadow would point out some wonder that I hadn't noticed (like the network of ropes and pulleys with baskets on the end, which must have been used to move goods between the ground and the trees). I just smiled, forgetting for a moment the dangerous nature of the creatures that lived here.

As seemed to be the trend ever since I'd left home, the peace didn't last for long. There was the sound of running feet below, and, as one, Shadow and I dropped down onto our bellies on the walkway. I prayed silently that we hadn't been seen, and glanced at the Sheikah, who was squinting slightly. She let out a small gasp, and reached out to pat me on the shoulder, before scrambling backwards towards the place in which the Koroks had been imprisoned. I followed, fighting against the desperate urge to peer over the edge of the platform in order to see what was going on below.

Just as soon as we'd drawn into the welcoming, safe shadows of the tree dwelling (much to the alarm of the bound Kokiri, who squeaked as we entered), I grabbed the girl's arm. "What is it?" I asked, guessing that whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Her look confirmed my suspicions immediately.

"The Lord," she said simply. The Kokiri boy let out another squeak at this; looking over, annoyed, I was astonished to see that he looked as afraid as I felt. "We have to get out of here before he…" she trailed off, and gestured hopelessly.

"Realises we're here," I finished for her. She nodded fervently. A cold realisation gripped my heart. "He'll check up here!" I hissed, gesturing to the wooden bars of the cell that took up most of the room. "The Koroks."

"Of course!" she agreed, panic filtering through the forced calm exterior. "In that case…" she went back over to the door, and I followed close behind. Surely, she gestured towards the rest of the village. "We'll have to make our way to the other end. If we're lucky, we won't be spotted; then we can double back and go to the hollow."

"Won't that mean going past them?" I asked. She shook her head,

"No, not if we make a wide enough loop."

"Right – well – it's a plan," I said, trying to lighten the mood. Her eyes lifted slightly at the corners in what I guessed was a strained smile, but soon became serious again. I tried to think of something else to say, but nothing seemed appropriate. Instead, I just gave Shadow what I hoped was a significant look, and followed her quietly out of the shadows and back into the dappled sunlight. Voices could now be heard below, hushed and furtive. I wondered what the Kokiri were talking about, and then decided I'd rather not know.

In front of me, Shadow halted suddenly, standing half in darkness. I could see that her fists were clenched, and a moment later, I heard a booming voice that sent chills down my spine.

"Silence!" a man barked (almost literally a bark at that). Immediately, the mutters died away, leaving an eerie silence. I held my breath, worried that it would give me away. Slowly, the Sheikah girl turned around, not even looking at me as she walked back towards the tree house. Curious, afraid and even a little annoyed that she'd gone back into danger, I still followed her. _:After all, we can't split up…not now.: _She came to a standstill against the wall, and slid without a sound to the floor. Then, lowering herself onto her front once more, she shuffled forwards until she could peer over the edge of the walkway.

"_You_," the man said.

"Yes m'lord?" a girl's voice replied uncertainly.

"Come _here_." I was lying on the floor next to Shadow now, and could see the scene below in all its terrible glory. The sun, now shining brightly in the morning, lit the small glade before us in rippling light. The remains of a fire were in the centre, surrounded by logs and stones which acted as seats. I recognised it at once as the place where I'd nearly fallen under the Kokiris' enchantments for good. The small boys and girls were there, green tunics bright against the brown earth. The girl whom the Lord had called was walking slowly towards him – I recognised her as one of the ones who'd bought me here in the first place. She had the common red hair, and a daisy chain rested on her head.

"Sir?" she whispered, trembling as she fell onto one knee before the huge, black Wolfos-man. He was looking down at her disdainfully, fury burning evidently in his eyes. The fur on the back of his neck bristled as she dared to look up into his face, and then returned her eyes to the ground. Slowly, the Lord bent down, and latched onto the girl's daisy-chain crown in one hand, and easily lifted her up by the tunic in the other. I noticed him grimace as he quickly crushed the flowers in his hand, and let them fall to the floor, stems broken. Then, almost without warning, he exploded.

"_What_ do you mean by _this?_" the huge black Wolfos-man bellowed, hands curling in anger. His teeth flashed as he snarled into the unfortunate girl's face, and she flinched in his grasp. "Vile malcontent. How _dare_ you disobey _me_?" Tears were now streaming down the eternal child's face. With a snort of disgust, he discarded her roughly onto the leaf-strewn ground; she instinctively curled into a ball, sobs punctuating the otherwise silent gathering.

* * *

I let out a satisfied sigh as I watched the Koroks' shapes dwindle to nothing in the sky above. Rufus was smiling contentedly, and I silently agreed with the feeling. We'd managed the most important part of our adventure here with surprising ease. The Great Deku Tree had his people back, and they would be able to carry out the ceremony as they did every year. Everything was going our way, and I allowed myself to smile properly, Dragmire's prying thoughts be damned! _:I've every right to feel pleased: _I though defiantly.

The Hylian and I strolled along the wooden walkway, back towards the ladder we'd climbed earlier. We enjoyed studying the treetop village, and I pointed out a few things which I thought were particularly interesting. (The network of ropes and pulleys with baskets on the end was something I was willing to bet would prove very useful back at home. I stored the idea in the back of my head, to be dug out later on, when I was back at home… _:Whenever that will be.:) _Rufus looked at all the things I indicated with interest, and I felt a small calm resting on me.

But, it was only the eye of the storm passing over, it seemed…

I was suddenly aware of a presence I had been dreading. The sound of running footsteps below triggered a natural reaction, and I dropped onto the worn boards of the platform without thinking. However, internally, I panicked, narrowing my eyes at the world which no longer seemed important. The Lord was approaching, and he was extremely angry… _:Which is _not_ good… Though it does mean he hasn't picked up on me yet; small mercies…: _I gasped at the intensity of his rage, and then grabbed onto Rufus, half dragging him back to the hut from which we'd just freed the Koroks.

As soon as my back was against the cool wood, I exhaled shakily, managing to erect a shaky barrier against the power of the Lord. The lad grabbed on my arm, and queried, "What is it?"

"The Lord," I answered, knowing that it was pointless to beat around the bush. The bound Kokiri boy (whom I could just about spy through the door of the treehouse) squeaked, his eyes snapping wide open. I could smell his fear like a palpable scent in the air. "We have to get out of here before he…" I trailed off as the rage snapped against my mind, painful and awful.

"Realises we're here," Rufus ended the sentence for me. I just nodded, fighting back a wince. "He'll check up here! The Koroks." I started.

"Of course!" _:Oh Gods, no: _I fought against my rising panic, searching for the detached calm of my old school day mantras. _:Fear is just another weapon the enemy can use against you. Don't let them have the advantage. Every enemy has their weakness; find it, exploit it, fight and win.: _They worked, but barely. "In that case… We'll have to make our way to the other end," I pointed to the farthest of the small tree-dwellings. "If we're lucky, we won't be spotted; then we can double back and go to the hollow." I remembered the dream of the morning, and wondered whether even the hollow would be safe from the wrath of the Lord.

"Won't that mean going past them?" Rufus' unsteady voice forced me to get a grip. _:You're the older one – you're supposed to be looking out for him – so start acting like an adult for Gods sakes: _

"No, not if we make a wide enough loop," I assured him. He nodded, frowned, and then quipped,

"Right…well…it's a plan." I managed to small smile, but couldn't keep it on my face for long. For all intents and purposes, I was panicking. And it wasn't something I was used to. Panic was a feeling that severely hindered the battle prowess of a warrior… _:It's not like I've ever had anything to truly panic over before either: _Determined to at least escape, I started off towards the other end of the village, the Hylian close behind me.

It was then that the Lord entered the borders of the Kokiri village. He acknowledged my presence with a flippant stab of malevolence, which sent stars before my eyes. I clenched my fists as I fought to maintain my balance. "Silence!" I heard it in my head and ringing in my ears. Ignoring Rufus' confused face, I turned back, compelled to see what was going to happen next. Though the Lord had acknowledged me, he didn't actually know where I was…not yet, anyway… I wanted to see him for real - _:Perhaps I could even attack him from above? I have my daggers… We need the Pearl…: _I knew it was madness, but I couldn't walk away now. He was so _close. _

I moved and fell to the floor so that I could peer over the edge of the walkway. "_You_," he was beckoning one of the Kokiri forwards. She shook violently.

"Yes m'lord?"

"Come here." The icy coolness of his voice was completely at odds with the blazing anger I could still feel from him.

"Sir?" the girl fell onto one knee in front of the huge black half Wolfos, half man. He glared down at her, fur bristling and hands curled, the claws looking ready to tear her into dozens of tiny pieces. Slowly, with a grace I'd only ever seen in my mother (who was, and always had been, a better warrior than me) he lifted her up from the leaf-blanketed ground. His anger fell away for a moment, replaced by a pain and fear which shocked me. The daisy-chain he'd crushed, fell to the ground, glowing brightly through the dark that seemed to have descended around us. I tried to fathom why this sudden change of mood had happened, but was shocked out of my thoughts by the sudden return of the Lord's anger, full-force.

"What do you mean by this?" he screamed, spittle flying as he growled directly into the Kokiri's face. "Vile malcontent. How dare you disobey me?" She was crying, and he dropped her heavily onto the floor with a disdainful snort. The child curled into a ball, shuddering as sobs wracked her small frame. He kicked her hard, and she cried out, back arching, trying to shy away from the pain. I scowled, horrified that he would attack a _child!_

Rufus seemed to share my sentiments, because he was on his feet, sword in hand, before I even have a chance to stop him. "No!" I hissed desperately, trying to tug him back by the skirt of his tunic; perhaps we hadn't been noticed yet? Perhaps there was still a chance that we could escape unnoticed? **_:You've already been noticed, my dear _Shadow** an unwelcome voice informed me, leaning heavily on my name. The Lord paused expectantly, and I wondered what he was waiting for. With my attention thus distracted, the Hylian, who had been walking on the spot, finally broke free of my grip with an angered exclamation.

His voice echoed from the black trees. He froze, sword half-raised, and looked down to the gathering below. Every sound had stopped, save the whimpering of the Kokiri girl. Feeling that a show of solidarity was the only course of action (and knowing that my presence was already known), I also rose to my feet. This meant that I took was able to gaze down upon the scene below. The black Wolfos held a whip in his hands now (much like mine, though shorter and barbed). He was standing over the girl who'd had flowers in her hair. Those green eyes, which had mocked me so coolly in the dream of that morning, now stared without feeling (though I did think I saw a hint of quickly concealed surprise). When he saw me also rise, a cruel smirk curved his lips.

"Sorry," Rufus muttered, breathing heavily. All the colour had drained from his face, so that it glowed like the moon in the shade. Down below, the Lord's ears had perked and I knew that he was listening hard. "But I couldn't just-"

"I know," I replied brusquely, not taking my eyes from the gathered enemies below. _:Well, looks like this confrontation is going to be sooner than I thought.: _Sidling over to Rufus, I briefly entertained the idea of grabbing him and making a run for it. I could even leave a trail of fire in my wake, now that I thought about it… _:It'd slow them down at least…:_

**_:Ah, but do you want to risk it? Do you really think something so trivial would slow _me_ down:_ **I cringed, finding the Lord's presence in my mind even more abhorrent than Dragmire's. **_:Now, really, there's no need to be rude: _**I shook my head, which made Rufus look at me oddly. I just shrugged at him, and then nodded to the crowd below. He seemed to get the message, because he shuffled over to the edge of the platform, so that we were standing exactly side by side. He looked down, gulped, looked at me, and then nodded resolutely.

I reached out my hand, and nudged him over the edge. He gasped, but I kept hold of him, jumping at the same time, and making sure that I landed before him on the hard ground. He fell heavily on my back, but rolled off in a moment, and then we were both on our feet, surrounded by Kokiri, and surveyed by the Lord. I inhaled deeply, and cleared my mind. The black Wolfos' rumbling thoughts and voice died away to background noise, and I was able to give my full attention to the current situation. "Well?" Rufus prompted, having already taken up a rudimentary battle stance. I followed suit, watching the Lord warily. None of the eternal children had moved; they must be waiting for orders.

The huge Wolfos man didn't give any such orders. Instead, he unsheathed the huge sabre that had been slung across his back, and came for us. He moved fast – incredibly fast. I was sorely reminded of the fight with Judas back on Dragon Roost… I wondered whether the same tactics might work again, and immediately began to weave spells together.

A burning pain that seemed like it was about to split my head in two occurred as I tried to fling a spell at the Lord. He sneered, and swept wildly at me with his weapon. I avoided his blow easily, and looked over to see Rufus on the sidelines, ready to jump into the fray when his chance came. I gave a curt nod, silently telling him to stay put – thankfully, he seemed to understand. I saw him warily eyeing the Kokiri all around, but it seemed they would do nothing unless directly ordered by their Lord.

I couldn't stay distracted for long, as the Wolfos man lunged again, this time coming so close that I could feel the rush of air caused by the swipe across my face. I blinked. _:Gods, he's _fast!Now I knew for certain that the same tactics wouldn't work – I'd thought Judas fast, but he'd been nothing compared to- "Gah!" He'd managed to get me across the left forearm, and I winced as blood started to stain my sleeve. Frowning, I ducked another ferocious swipe, and found myself standing right next to Rufus, who managed to parry an attack that would have severed my head from my body.

"Thanks," I huffed, before grabbing a handful of deku-nuts and scattering them on the ground. Just before they exploded, I grabbed Rufus and whirled him around so that he wouldn't catch the full glare of them. The Lord hissed angrily, and shook his head, pupils shrunk to slits and ears flat to his skull as he strained to see.

**_:Very clever, _wench**he cursed, and then something happened that made my blood run cold… "Attack," the black Wolfos said coolly, and the Kokiri began to advance. He was doing it to create time to regain his sight, I knew…and there was nothing we could do. My magic wouldn't even work (I tried again, and was greeted with a tremendous shock of pain on casting); only half of the Kokiri had been affected by the deku-nuts, leaving a dozen or so to attack us.

"Shadow," Rufus murmured, pressing closer to me, weapons raised. He was looking for a plan; looking to me for a way out of this… I pointedly kept my gaze away from the eternal childrens' faces, remembering the warnings we'd been given by the fairies. The Lord had stopped reeling, and seemed to be returning to normal. I had no more deku-nuts _:fool, how could you use them _all_ like that: _What to do, what to do? I had to attack whilst he was still vulnerable, but I had to protect Rufus! _:Gods, what do I do! I can't think of anything, I… What shall I-: _Rufus and I were now back to back, hemmed in by a circle of green-clad Kokiri; they were unarmed, but that only served to make them all the more menacing somehow…

* * *

I could feel Shadow's muscles shifting as she looked around at the closing Kokiri, and waited for her to come up with another of her brilliant plans. However, after a few seconds of nothing, I realised that she just didn't _have_ any ideas…which gave me a terrible shock. I'd started to rely on her as the one to plan our actions – now, I needed to do it for myself. I kept my weapons up, but gave most of my concentration to formulating a plan. Copying the Sheikah's normal actions, I quickly looked around us, trying to find an opening (or something) through which to escape. _:At least then we'd have a bit more time before we have to fight _HimThe Lord was still half-blinded. If we could somehow attack him now, we'd have the advantage! _:But there's still the problem of the Kokiri…:_

Suddenly, a couple of the child-like creatures rushed me; they'd acquired sticks somewhere along the way, and I raised my shield to deflect their blows. At the same time, I swiped my sword half-heartedly, not really wanting to land a hit. I…I couldn't… _:They're just kids, I…can't…can't fight them! They're smaller than-: _"Ouch!" A green-haired girl had fired a rock at me using a slingshot, and it had connected squarely with me knee, which immediately started to bleed. I lowered my shield enough to glare at her, but had to raised it quickly again when another rain of blows came upon me. "Shadow," I prompted, hoping that the extra time had given her the chance to come up with something.

"Just hold them back," she instructed. I heard a _'crack'_ and guessed she must be using her whip against them.

"Right." _:Looks like I'd better start thinking harder.: _Ducking an attack I felt the Sheikah girl's warm presence leave my back. _:What the-: _I yelped as some projectile connected with the back of my leg, and span around to find that I was alone in the circle. _:She **left!**: _I couldn't _believe _it!

About a quarter of the Kokiri were unconscious, lying still on the ground; that still left me with eight to contend with – alone! _:Where is she:_ A glimpse of indigo near the Lord told me _exactly_ where she was.

Panicking, I turned tail and fled towards the ladder up to the tree-houses, deciding fighting from above would be preferable to being surrounded. "Rufus, look out!" Shadow yelled, just before I spotted a bucket flying towards my head! I threw myself full-length on the ground, wondering where the heck that had come from!

Instantly, my adversaries were upon me, just like the miniblins back in the Great Deku tree's grotto. I rolled over and over, throwing them off so that I could claw my way to my feet.

All of this had bought me to the steep hill down with Shadow and I had slithered earlier. I could see that the boy we'd bound had joined the others, and was looking triumphant. He clutched a crude-looking dagger in his hand, and moved to the head the gaggle of Kokiri. _:This **does not** look good.:_

_

* * *

_

_  
I apologise if things seem off, out of place, or if the writing style just doesn't flow as well as it should. I'm just frazzled at the moment – too many things going on at once, and heck, I shouldn't even be writing this at all. But, I needed a break, and procrastinating with fanfiction seemed a good way to cheer myself up. _

_Note: I despise this chapter. GAH. It's taken me forever and a day to write, and now I just hate it. Stupid thing. _Kicks the chapter._ Damnit! I mean, how the hell am I going to get the two of them out of this? Stupid Soda, think before you write, gah!_

_Soda x_


	22. Together: A Problem Halved

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Right, last chapter, it seemed as though our adventurers had gotten themselves into a right mess! They managed to complete their mission and free the Koroks, but now the Lord has arrived. After being temporarily blinded by Shadow, he flew into a rage and set the Kokiri on them – and now Shadow's gone off by herself and left Rufus to fend for himself. What's going to happen, and how on earth are they going to get out of this one? (Don't ask me, you'll just have to wait and see – I'm only an introductory summary after all!)_

_Note to self: Listen to McFly, Jamie Cullum and The Calling more often when writing. Bop-music really helps. _

_Thank you, thank you, thank you for sticking with me. I know I'm a horrible updater, and hell, I should be hung drawn and quartered for taking so long, so thank you so much for actually reading!_

* * *

**_Together: A problem halved_**

Scouring the scene around us (always keeping half an eye on the advancing child-creatures), I looked for a way to reach the Lord. There _had_ to be a weakness, something that we'd overlooked… I snapped my whip out when a couple of the Kokiri came too close, and they jumped back in shock. It wouldn't hold them back for long, but even a few more seconds could be enough…

The Lord was staggering around a little, trying to get his bearings. _:He must still be dazed, with eyes that sensitive.: _I half hoped that the damage might be permanent, but knew that that was too much to ask for. **_:That's not very nice, is it: _**he growled, catching hold of one of the ropes dangling from overhead and clinging to it as a support. I just ignored him, continuing in my attempt to come up with a good plan. His small minions, though poorly armed, threatened to overcome us with mere numbers.

Rufus pressed against me; I could feel his heartbeat thundering away through his ribcage. _:There must be a way to get him to safety.: _My hair had tumbled loose again _:damnit, _not_ a good time: _and I swept it out of my face with an annoyed jerk of my free hand. As I dropped my left hand, it brushed against the daisy chain around my neck. One of the green stalks snapped, and the natural necklace fell to the ground. I could see that the flowers were still as fresh as they'd been when I picked them. This seemed important…

The Lord shook his head and looked in the direction of the battle. Evidently, his sight was returning faster than I'd thought. _:Think, think! Flowers, the glade… Why was he so mad with the girl:_ There was something there – a connection – but… _:What **is** it:_

An opening didn't look as though it would come anytime soon. The Lord's movements were starting to look too coordinated for my liking…so, hoping that the Gods wouldn't begrudge me for my actions, I quickly dealt with a few of the Kokiri, stunning them with my whip. Then, with a pang of guilt, balanced out with the knowledge (or hope) that Rufus could hold his own, I fled the battle and made a beeline for the black Wolfos-man. On my way, I snatched up both my own daisy chain, and then crushed one of the red-haired Kokiri girl.

These I quickly wound around each hand so that they acted as floral knuckle-dusters. Then, after a moment's hesitation (_:if this doesn't work, I am going to be **very** dead:), _I launched my first attack on the Lord. OK, so it wasn't particularly chivalrous, considering I came at him from behind, but I was beyond honourable combat now. I bent down close to the ground in order to get the power I'd need for my spring, and then leapt.

At the last possible second, he turned, blinked, and his eyes swam back into focus. His barb-filled mouth fell open in surprise, and then I was upon him, hands on his throat, finding it too large to encircle and instead applying pressure to his windpipe.

He gagged, putrid breath hot on my face. Then, he copied my actions, clawed fingers easily enclosing my neck. I pressed, he squeezed, black dots appeared in front of my eyes. _:No: _I writhed in his grip, and managed to land a blow to a rather sensitive area with my right foot. He hissed and relinquished his grip. I let go as well, and sprang backwards.

Since I hadn't checked my direction, I slammed (at high speed) into a tree trunk – a few leaves drifted down, shaken loose by the collision. _:Ow.:_

**_:Just what I was thinking, wench.: _**The Lord had regained his composure, though winced as he took a step towards me. **_:That was a low blow Sheikah.:_**

_:So was strangling me: _I retorted, only afterwards realising the hypocrisy of the statement.

"Shadow!" Rufus shrieked, the sound tearing the air with desperation. Turning, I could see that he was hemmed in by the Kokiri, all of whom had their weapons poised to strike. The Lord took another step towards me, now fully upright, the cool glint in his eye glittering in a shaft of sunlight. He had one hand held up; he was holding his minions back. _:But for how much longer: _

_**:That depends on whether you'll indulge me.:**_

_:What:_ I asked flatly, shuffling slowly that I could easily watched Rufus and the Lord without having to turn my head.

"It's widely rumoured that your people are indeed a handsome race. I'm curious as to what you have to hide behind that mask of yours." I switched to speech as well, and retorted,

"If you think for one moment that-" He flicked his wrist, and Rufus was pinned to the muddy bank with the sticks of two Kokiri. A third held a dagger levelled between the Hylian's eyes. _:Rufus: _

**_:Toy with me if you like – I'll enjoy having him cut to ribbons.:_** He had me and he knew it. No doubt he also knew just how humiliating his demand was. I hesitated, and the Lord lifted his arm to give the go ahead.

"Wait!" I implored, disgusted at the weakness of my tone. Another few Kokiri had arrived from the outside forest, and joined the gaggle surrounding my companion.

"Come here." I moved forwards, closing the gap between us to only a few yards. "Show me." Shuddering in a combination of shame and suppressed rage, I reached up to untie my facemask, casting another glance at the poor Hylian boy in my charge.

* * *

At a hand-signal from the huge black Wolfos-man, I was pinned against the wall. I winced as the sticks dug into me, and glared at the Kokiri boy who was holding his dagger in front of my face. He just grinned back at me, looking unearthly. I tried to pay attention to what was going on between Shadow and the Lord, but it was difficult to see anything past him. A few more Kokiri arrived, and I despaired. _:There's no way we're going to get out of this one:. _I slumped a little, and the dagger was waved threateningly in my face.

"Show me." The Sheikah girl had moved, and now I could see her perfectly – she was shivering in front of the Lord, hands wandering to her facemask. I watched, fascinated, thinking back to the glimpse of her face I'd already had. Some part of me wanted to stay where I was, just so that I could see her face again.

The Kokiri boy who was holding the dagger suddenly fell backwards – another of the child-creatures had their hand around his neck, and wrestled him to the ground, the dagger clattering to the floor. The rest of them broke ranks and began to fight. Only the two pinning me to the wall remained where they were. A grinning face that was familiar appeared in front of me, and shoved my captors out of the way with ease. "Hello there lad – care to come with us?" There was a flash of light, and then a cloud of fairies burst into life, showing that the actual Kokiri were all out cold on the floor.

"Phoebus!" I realised as the shimmering lights grabbed onto me and whisked me upwards onto one of the many walkways above. Below, Shadow had noticed, and quickly jumped backwards, dropping her hands to the daggers at her waist, and drawing them out. The black Wolfos-man's eyes widened, and then he grasped what had happened.

"Why, you-!" One of the daggers embedded itself into his shoulder, and he cursed loudly. His lips curled back in a snarl, and he pounced. Shadow dodged it, but barely. The fairies gasped as one when she rolled into the path of the downward swing of his sabre. She realised the danger at the last second, and managed to pull herself up short – when she stood up, a large portion of her silver hair floated to the ground. The Lord swung his weapon again, forcing her to back up.

I again found myself in awe of her speed as she managed to run behind him and score another hit with a dagger to his back. He roared at this, and reached back, managing to grab the hand that had driven the blade home. As soon as he had hold of her, he flipped her over and slammed her into the ground, holding her down by pressing a clawed foot into her chest. She cried out on impact, but was silent afterwards – blood blossomed around the red eye on her white shirt.

I made to jump down to her rescue, but the fairies restrained me, a dozen of them taking each arm, and even more grabbing onto my legs to hold me back. "Let go!" I hissed, desperately struggling against them. They didn't heed my wishes, and I could only watch in horror as the black Wolfos-man bent down to sniff Shadow. He removed his foot and bent down on one knee, free hand moving towards her facemask. I scowled at him, hating him completely. _:Shadow, Gods, be all right:_

She stirred slightly, and the Lord froze, hand poised to pull the material down and expose her face. My earlier wish to get another glimpse of the girl's features was overcome by my wish for her to _survive_. When she did nothing more, he hooked his fingers over the scrap of white cloth.

At that point, her eyes snapped open and her arms snapped upwards, forefingers stabbing into his eyes with a sickening _squelch_ that I could hear from where I stood. The Lord howled in anguish, and she took the opportunity of his pain to kick him off her. Then, she got to her feet, bent almost double from the pain of her wound, and kicked him again, hard in his shin. His leg buckled – she did the same to the other, and he fell backwards onto the ground.

She didn't waste any time at all, and immediately jumped onto him again, her hands around his neck, thumbs digging far into his throat. The Wolfos-man howled again, and rolled over, pinning her to the ground – she managed to roll them again, slamming the both of them into the tree trunk that held up one end of the walkway I was standing on. This shook the whole walkway so much that the fairies were flung every which way. Suddenly free of their grasp, I lurched forwards, arms windmilling as I tried not to fall!

"Don't worry, we got you!" Phoebus huffed, and I felt him tugging at the back of my tunic – it wasn't much, but it was enough to balance me again. I let out the breath I'd been holding, and returned my gaze to the terrible scene below.

The Lord's fur was now matted with both his own and Shadow's blood – her hands around his throat were white with tension, but seemed to be slackening. He couldn't breathe, but he was still scrabbling around, trying to reach the blade he'd dropped in their scuffle. Throwing caution to the wind, I managed to dodge pass the cloud of fairies who were trying their best to restrain me, and ran to the nearest ladder. There, I clambered down a few rungs, and then slid the rest of the way down, succeeding in filling my hands with splinters. I didn't care though – I sprinted over to the pair, and kicked the sabre out of reach.

The Wolfos-man's green eyes narrowed at me murderously, but I didn't care. I felt triumphant, and smirked at him. Then, I unsheathed my sword and levelled it between his eyes, just as one of his Kokiri had done to me. He stopped struggling at that, and his eyes started to roll back in his head. "Shadow," I muttered, letting her know I was there – that bloodstain was getting worryingly large now… "It's all right, you can let go." She released her grip a little bit – I was able to see that there was a ring of blood all around our enemy's neck.

I was surprised when I saw flowers wrapped around Shadow's hands – I was even more surprised when a small spark of some sort of magic went between the daisies and the Lord's neck. His eyes snapped into focus, and he kicked Shadow away with such force that she only stopped when she collided with one of the logs gathered around the fire-pit. "That was a stupid idea, _boy,_" he spat, batting my sword away like it was a toothpick. I squeaked, and ran backwards; I ended up tripping over Shadow's prone form. She grunted weakly when I landed on top of her, and cracked one vermilion eye open to look at me.

"You need flowers," she whispered, voice husky.

"What?" I muttered back, trying to get to my feet. She grabbed my arm in a surprisingly strong grip, considering her wounds, and held me down.

"Flowers – send the fairies – get as many as they can carry from the glade – it's the only way to defeat him!" With that, she let out a small sigh, and her head lolled back. I panicked for a moment, before feeling her chest rise and fall, and realising that she'd only passed out. _:Oh Gods, now what do I do? Flowers? How can they-: _Then the image of the ring of blood around the Lord's throat flashed in my mind. It seemed ridiculous, but then again, the whole adventure so far had been pretty weird as it was… This was just another of those weird things…

I hopped to my feet now, with my shield up; I looked around for my sword, and saw it glinting amongst the dead leaves, almost exactly half way between my opponent and me. He didn't seem to pay me any attention though, and was looking around with narrowed eyes; they alighted on something over to the left, and he bounded off. I took a chance, and ran to my sword. I snatched it up, and then fled back over to Shadow – I saw that he'd gotten his sabre back, and gulped. _:His reach is a lot bigger than mine…and he's a lot faster than me too…: _In fact, it seemed as though I had little hope at all of winning this battle…

_:Flowers… Well, she's usually right, so…: _"Phoebus!" I snatched the still-fresh daisy from my buttonhole and clutched it along with my sword in my left hand. The yellow fairy swooped down, though stayed behind me, away from the Lord.

"Rufus, you need to get out of here! We can carry the Sheikah, and you can-"

"No," I snapped, cutting him off. "I need flowers from the glade – lots of them – and I need them now."

"Flowers?" he echoed, sounding perplexed.

"Just do it!" I ordered, internally sorry for being so harsh. But, well, I didn't have much time to spare explaining did I? Even at that very moment, the Lord was experimentally swinging his sabre, and glared at me with fierce intent. _:OK, OK, I just need to hold him back until they bring the flowers, and then…what? What then: _I looked down at Shadow, but it didn't look like she was going to come around anytime soon. _:What am I supposed to do with them once I have them: _Phoebus was still hovering around – I risked it and turned to look at him, "Please, go and get them, and quickly!" My voice cracked, and this spurred him into action. He nodded once, and them zoomed off, the rest of the fairies following him at high speed.

"Hah," the Wolfos-man barked triumphantly. "I see that even your precious magical friends desert you, now that they realise you're doomed."

"I wouldn't be so sure," I answered coolly, doing my best to cover up the nervous note in my voice. He raised an eyebrow, and with a sickening fascination, tugged the dagger Shadow had stabbed into his back out. Gore clung to it, oozing down the cruel blade and splattering onto the crisp leaves underfoot. He wiped the blood off, and then casually tossed the dagger in my direction. I blocked it with my shield, and it bounced harmlessly onto the ground. _:I get the feeling I won't be so lucky the next time he tries that.: _He was growling now – a deep, low sound right from his chest, which rumbled ominously in the air. I re-gripped the pommel of my sword, and waited for him to make the next move.

* * *

I was in a lot of pain – it felt like something was being repeatedly slammed into my chest every time I breathed in. I tried to figure out what was going on – the world around me was pretty hazy. Looking up, I could see the blurry outlines of two people dancing around each other. I couldn't figure out what the dance steps were for, and tried to sit up to get a better view. "Give it up boy, you're finished!"

"I don't think so."

"Well, then you're wrong."

The clash of metal on metal, a small grunt and a loud snarl, followed by a hiss as the smaller of the two figures put his hand over the taller one's face. I shook my head, hoping to clear my vision – it worked, though it did also make me feel like I needed to be sick. Rufus swam into focus, one arm wrapped around the neck of the Lord, right hand pressing a small, crushed daisy into his face, and his left hand plunging his sword into his foe's back. The Lord, with his large, clumsy weapon, was unable to turn it around in order to stab Rufus back (_:thank the Gods:)_, and he flailed around, finally getting hold of the boy's tunic, and ripping him off. The flower stayed where it was, stalk embedded in one of the once green eyes, now red and weeping blood.

Rufus landed rather gracefully for a Hylian, legs splayed beneath him and arms held out to the sides for balance. He managed to duck a swipe from the Lord's sabre, and then hurriedly fled back towards me. I wondered how long I'd been out for, and tried to voice the question. However, Rufus spoke first, panting, "They've gone to get them – I'll hold him off – stay here!" And with that, he charged off again, leading the huge black Wolfos-man on a merry dance around the camp. I tried to keep up with the battle, but found my head reeling every time I turned to follow the two fighters.

Feeling nauseous, I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the battle – so far, neither of them seemed to be winning, though Rufus was continuously backing down. _:Clever lad – knows when not to put up the offence…:_ I knew it couldn't last though; he was still a child, and he'd only recently recovered from his fever – something was bound to give! Cursing every single nerve ending in my body, I forced myself onto my knees, and opened my eyes again. Then, I tried to get to my feet, but my body wouldn't cooperate.

* * *

Sweat was pouring down my face, and I used my sword hand to wipe the salty liquid out of my eyes. The Lord didn't seem to be tiring at all, but I could feel my energy draining away. I carried on jumping out of the way of his attacks, and parried any that came too close. Without the daisy (it was still poking grotesquely out of his eye), I felt powerless. _:I hope the fairies get back soon, or else I don't think I'm going to get out of this…: _I didn't know how much time had passed since I sent them off…it felt like forever.

I ducked behind a tree-stump in order to catch my breath – the blow that would have taken off my head, thunked into the wood. I got ready to run again, and then paused to look over my shoulder. I almost laughed when I saw the huge black Wolfos-man struggling with his sabre. He'd managed to get it completely stuck. _:Maybe this is my chance: _I was about to spring on him, when he let go of the weapon altogether, and came at me, claws bared. I panicked and threw myself sideways, tumbling down a small incline and landing next to the pile of ash in the fire pit.

The Lord towered over me, and smiled, teeth glinting. He snapped his fingers, and heat suddenly exploded all around me. I jumped up immediately, and then dropped to the ground again when I realised that my tunic had caught fire! I scrambled around in the leaves, batting at my clothes to try and put the flames out. My opponent laughed heartily, and kicked dirt over me, extinguishing the flames. I hyperventilated; the skin on my palms had blistered, and it was painful to hold my sword. I clutched it tightly anyway – it was the only thing I had left to defend myself with.

I blindly swung it when I saw the Wolfos-man reaching down towards me. He easily evaded my attack, and then kicked me hard in the side. "Argh!" I yelped, stars exploding in front of my eyes because of the pain. "Damnit!" I felt his clawed fingers around my left wrist, but didn't relinquish my grip on my sword. _:I'm not going to let it go! Never:_

* * *

I watched in horror as the Lord lifted Rufus from the ground by his sword arm – the boy struggled, and I could see the tendons in his arm flinch as the Wolfos-man tried to pry his weapon from his hand. Annoyed that the Hylian wouldn't let go, he dropped him again, and stalked over to the tree where his sabre was still embedded. Rufus rolled over, and struggled to his feet – he'd landed badly, and seemed to have twisted his ankle, as he was limping.

I gritted my teeth, and against the better judgement of my body, forced myself to stand up. Fresh blood spattered the dry leaves underfoot, and it was impossible to stand up straight, but at least I was mobile. I staggered over to Rufus, who seemed surprised to see me. "Shadow?" he murmured, laying a hand on my stooped shoulder. I winced, and he immediately removed the hand. "Sorry – look, you should just-"

"I'm fine," I grunted back, applying more pressure to the gash the Lord's claws had left across my right shoulder and breastbone.

"Of course you are," the Hylian muttered, rolling his eyes. A snigger fought its way out (though the movement jarred my injuries terribly), and he grinned.

The reprieve from battle didn't last long – with a sound of splintering wood, the Lord managed to wrench his blade from its prison, and turned back to us with a demonic glint in his remaining good eye. "Stay behind me," Rufus instructed, shakily taking up a defensive position in front of me. I found myself unable to disobey him, as I was finding it hard to so much as stay upright at that moment in time…

* * *

Shadow was deathly pale, and she'd left a trail of blood behind her – if someone didn't see to her wounds soon, I had the feeling that she wouldn't… _:Don't think about it: _I told myself sternly. _:Focus on the huge monster that's about to try and kill you instead.:_ He was charging again, that huge sabre raised above his head – I didn't think I could block it, but…it was obvious the Sheikah girl couldn't go anywhere in the state she was in. And if I just stepped out of the way, then she'd-

The black Wolfos-man paused, mid-stride. Something white had settled comfortably between his pricked lupine ears, and he had an expression of extreme discomfort on his face. He reached up and removed the white speck, flicking it onto the ground with an annoyed mutter. Then, he lifted his weapon again, ready to deal a deadly blow.

"Oh, Lordie!" called a voice that I knew only too well by now. Looking up, I felt my jaw drop.

Above us had appeared a canopy of blossoms in all colours of the rainbow. The fairies had returned in the nick of time – by the looks of it, they'd bought practically the entire glade back with them. I spotted Phoebus' yellow glow clutching onto a bunch of red roses; Luna was next to him with a huge sunflower held in her hands like a spear.

The Lord's mouth fell open just as mine had, and he made as though to run for it. However, as soon as he started to move, the fairies began to pelt him with their floral weaponry. If the situation hadn't been so dire, I probably would have laughed at just how absurd this would sound if I ever tried to tell anyone about it. It would always be one of those 'you had to be there' moments…

The volume of flowers being thrown resembled a multi-coloured snowstorm. The Wolfos-man stumbled, and the fairies immediately crowded around him, depositing their loads as one. Shadow returned to something like her former self, and scooped up a chain of roses that had landed near us. With this in hand, she hurried forwards to the fallen Lord. "This is going to work this time," I heard her mutter to the monster, before looping the roses around his neck, and yanking them tight.

* * *

I only let go of the floral garrotte when the creature's pulse disappeared completely. Then, with shaking hands, I quickly detached his belt from around his waist, and slipped the bottle with the Pearl in it from the leather strap.

"Rufus," I held it out to him, and he took it reverentially.

"We did it," he breathed, sounding disbelieving.

"We did indeed," I nodded. Then, feeling suddenly weary, I settled onto the petal-blanketed ground and closed my eyes.

* * *

_Be in awe of my shoddy battle scenes! It's terrible, I know – I apologise… Feel free to pelt me with the deadly daisies of doom. (LOL, I suppose at least I'm original with my crazy weaponry ideas, right?) Sort of parodying the idea of 'the Wicked Witch of the West' and water from 'the Wizard of Oz'. Only with flowers (obviously)._

…_my plot devices suck… _


	23. Together: An Understanding

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter, we saw the demise of the Lord through the…ahem…daisies of doom. _Flushes in embarrassment_ which I will of course blame on the copious amount of fairy stories I was reading at the time. Our two adventurers have the second Pearl, and now only need one more to complete this leg of their mission. However, the fighting has really taken its toll on the both of them; Shadow has collapsed, and Rufus has no idea what to do next. Not to mention that Red has an awful feeling about Greatfish Isle… Are they already too late?_

_I updated! Will wonders never cease? Hehe. _

_I think we all know the marks for thoughts and all that jazz…if you've forgotten, check back a few chapters to find them again._

* * *

_**Together: An Understanding**_

With the help of Phoebus in his Kokiri form, I was able to drag Shadow out of the wreckage of the battle, and managed to settle her near to the fire pit. She was bleeding heavily, and I made straight for the blue potion I had in my pack. Phoebus, after patting me on the shoulder, flew off to join the other fairies. _:Oh Gods, I hope I'm not too late:_ I prayed as I slid her mask down and gently lifted her head up so that I could give her some of the potion to help her wounds. A few flowers had become stuck in her hair, and I picked out a daisy, grinning as I remembered her teaching me how to make a chain of them.

She groaned slightly, and I gave her a little more of the blue liquid, which seemed to help. Her right arm, which had been really tense, relaxed; I could see the gashes and claw marks start to close up, and she seemed to fall into a deeper sleep. Her breathing levelled off, and her head fell back a little in my hands. Carefully, I took off my hat, and rolled it up into a sort of pillow-ish thing. Then, slowly so that I wouldn't wake her up (_:because she definitely deserves a rest after that:_), I shuffled backwards and put my rolled up hat under her head. She sighed, and then lay still.

Satisfied that she was OK, I took a little swig of the potion myself. Instantly, my twisted ankle felt a lot better; which was good, because one of the Kokiri was approaching me at high speed.

I jumped to my feet, sword in hand. It was the boy who'd held the dagger to my face; he didn't look half so menacing now, and his face fell when he saw the weapon in my hand. "What?" I asked, surreptitiously taking a step to the side so that I stood between him and Shadow. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. "Pardon?" I pressed, though this time not unkindly. There was something different about him… _:something in the eyes:_

He cleared his throat, and then took a deep, steadying breath. "Thank you." He said.

"What?" I was nonplussed.

"Thank you," he repeated; a pink fairy floated down from the trees above, and landed on top of his head. He looked up at the fairy as it dangled forwards to touch his nose, and smiled. I tapped my foot, and he immediately returned his attention to me. "You saved us," he gestured towards the pile of flowers underneath which the Lord's body was buried. "He…he was controlling us, but…well, now, he isn't, so – thank you." The fairy tugged on the tip of his ear, and he winced. "Oh, yeah, right," he muttered as the glowing orb whispered something. "Well, I also wanted to say sorry, you know…for the whole dagger thing and… Well, for all of us really."

I blinked, frowning slightly. "So he's been controlling you all this time?" The boy nodded. "I see…" He shuffled slightly, and scratched his neck. "Well, then I suppose…you're welcome," I gave him a nod, and he smiled tentatively at me. I returned the smile, and watched as he sped off to talk to the other Kokiri dotted around the village. I could see that they all had that _different_ look about them, though I still couldn't really pinpoint what _was_ different.

I noticed that the cloud of fairies which had arrived (_:just in the nick of time:)_ was greatly diminished. Each one of the child-like creatures now had a glowing light hovering around them: only a few fairies were left above. Squinting, I noticed that Luna and Phoebus were amongst them. Luna noticed my look, and she and the yellow, smiling fairy flew down to talk to me. As soon as they were close enough to hear me, I asked, "What's going on?" Thankfully, they obviously understood what I meant.

"Well, now that the Lord's gone, his magic over the whole island is gone as well. According to some of the others," Luna nodded to the small circle of fairies above, "All of the Wolfos have reverted back into normal wolves, and the Kokiri are like their old selves again."

"And it's all thanks to you lad," Phoebus grinned, landing on my head and ruffling my hair affectionately.

"Hey!" I protested, shaking my head and sending him wheeling into the air. Luna laughed at this, and he just pouted sulkily. "Sorry," I had to force myself not to laugh, "just don't touch my hair, all right?" He nodded, still pouting, and I had to look away from him in order to control myself. The grey fairy was biting her knuckle in order to hold back more giggles; to help her get over it, I asked, "Why have all the Kokiri got a fairy with them now?"

"Oh, that's just old partners getting back together again," she answered straight away. I immediately regretted asking the question, because both she and Phoebus suddenly looked a little upset.

"What's wrong?"

"Hrm? Oh, nothing," the sad look had changed into a wistful one.

"What she means is…well…we never had partners, so…"

"And neither did that lot up there," Luna pointed upwards. "I guess we just feel a bit…a bit left out in the celebrations." She chewed her lip, and her sunbeam partner was quick to flit over and put an arm over her shoulders. "Silly, isn't it? Here we are, finally free of _Him_, and we're moping around like it's raining on a carnival day!" She drew herself up, shrugging off Phoebus' arm, and announced, "I'm going to go and fetch Hollo and a few of the other Koroks to take you back to the Great Deku Tree – you coming?" she nudged the male fairy in the side. He started, and then nodded, following in her wake as she zoomed off.

I just shook my head, and sat down on the soft grass again. _:Maybe I'll go to sleep as well.: _It had been one heck of a day after all…

Behind me, I heard Shadow wriggle, and turned around to see that she'd moved so that she was lying on her side. Her face twisted in discomfort for a minute as she fidgeted to find a comfortable position, before relaxing as soon as she stopped moving. A content smile crossed her muddy face, and I smiled as well. We made a good team. And, I'd actually managed to hold my own pretty well during the fight… I wondered what she thought about me… _:Well, she left me on my own in that fight, so she must have thought I could handle it:_ I decided, thinking back to that morning.

_:She was amazing though…there's no way I would have – actually, I don't think I _could_ have carried on with all those injuries.:_ And, without this Dragmire's influence, it looked like we might actually become friends. _:And if I carry on getting better at fighting, then maybe she-: _A groan from the slumbering Sheikah caught my attention, and cut the thought off before I could finish it. _:Don't be stupid: _I told myself, rubbing my right leg, which was starting to get pins and needles from being still for so long.

Feeling suddenly restless, I stood up, and looked around for something to do. I spotted Shadow's bag half-buried under some yellow chrysanthemums a few feet away, and ambled over to it. When I saw a green gem glinting from the top of the front pocket, I remembered Red. _:He'll probably be worried sick: _After a moment of guilt over going through her bag, I bent down and picked up the stone anyway. _:She won't mind:_ I decided to myself.

Once I had the stone, I walked a little further away from the fire-pit, so that I could lean against the trunk of one of the many trees that supported the elevated village. All around me, the Kokiri were chatting amicably with their new (_:or old, depending on how you look at it:_) fairy partners. A few of them had even started a game of tag, and were darting here and there all over the clearing to stay out of reach of the one who was 'it'. _:I guess this must have been what they were like before the Lord came along.: _They reminded me of myself when I was younger, carting Aryll around on my shoulders as we played hide-and-seek with Joel and Zill. I'd always found Aryll first, because she had this habit of breaking out in giggling fits as soon as I drew near to her hiding place.

I grinned, remembering the only game where Aryll had managed to elude me – and she'd been in such an obvious place!

_We started the game around mid-morning: it was a bright sunny day, after weeks of rain, so we were all itching to go outside, and Grandma was eager to get rid of the two of us so that she could clean the house. We started off with Zill being 'it', after drawing straws – but he's always been a rubbish seeker, so he only managed to find Aryll before lunchtime. Of course, as soon as the smell of Grandma's cooking started wafting across the island, I jumped out from underneath Mesa's house (I think I actually managed to fall asleep after half an hour under there as it was), and hurried back home to eat. _

_The others were already there, having given up the game, and I was lucky that there was anything left to eat at all! (Thankfully, Grandma had held some of the soup back for me, because she knew it was my favourite.) It started to get windy outside, but not so windy that we couldn't carry on playing. So, after a word of warning from Grandma to come in if the weather got too bad, we ran off. _

_After drawing straws again, I was the seeker. As usual, I started counting loudly and slowly, "One…two…three…four…" As soon as I heard the sound of running footsteps die away, I sped up my counting, "eleven, twelve, twenty, twenty-five" until I eventually got bored and yelled out "A hundred! Ready or not, here I come!" It was easy enough to find Zill, because he had a cold, and sneezed loudly as I walked past his hiding place (crouched down behind the post-box). It took a little longer to find Joel, who was getting better and better at hiding as he got older. (He was in the reeds next to the washing pool)._

_It took about half an hour to find those two, and I was surprised that Aryll had managed to hide for so long. With the help of the others, I scoured the whole island, even going so far as to start up towards the woods. Though, to be honest, not even I would have ever hidden up there, and Aryll was too scared of the woods to even go anywhere near the path! _

_In fact, it was only when I glanced up at the lookout, after an hour's search, and saw a whole load of seagulls up there, that I realised how dumb I'd been! With the two other boys in tow, I scrambled up the ladder, to find Aryll snoozing against the railing. She woke with a start when I tapped her on the shoulder, and then giggled when she realised it was me. "Hey big brother!" Then, looking over my shoulder, she saw the other two, and her eyes widened in surprise, "does that mean I've won?" I just laughed, _

"_Yup, looks like it!" She blinked a couple of times, and then whooped in delight. By then, the wind was really starting to pick up, so we all had to hurry to our respective houses. And I don't think I've ever seen Aryll look as smug as she did when she told Grandma she'd finally beaten me at hide and seek. (She never let me forget it either, cheeky beggar!)_

I shook my head, still grinning as I remembered her astonishment and pride. _:As soon as we get back home, I swear, I'll let her win every single game we ever play.:_ With that thought in mind, I called out for Red, knowing that the sooner we got on our way, the better. _:The sooner we go, the sooner I get Aryll back home and safe.: _The stone glowed in my palm, and I murmured, "Red, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here!" he answered back immediately, sounding flummoxed. "I've been trying to get in contact with you for ages! I need both of you to get back to me immediately – we have to leave as soon as possible!"

"Yeah, I know, but-"

"No buts – get Shadow and make your way back here now!" he barked. I just frowned, and answered him back, a little annoyed at his tone,

"_No. _We've just fought against a huge killer Wolfos-man thing, and I think we deserve a bit of time to rest. Besides, Shadow's out cold and I've got a twisted ankle, so we're not going anywhere just yet!" OK, so the thing about my ankle was a little white lie, but… The way he'd just demanded that we get back, without any sort of explanation!

"Rufus, we don't have time for this," he wheedled, "the fate of the Great Sea hangs in the balance – we can't afford to waste time!" I had to force myself not to yell as I reasoned,

"I know that, but I don't think we can afford to try and carry on when we're wounded, can we? I mean, don't we need to be in good health so that we can actually do what we need to?" I could hear him grumbling under his breath, and added, "Besides, I was sort of hoping to go back and watch the ceremony…" His grumbling stopped at this, and I gulped, unnerved by the sudden silence.

"_WHAT!" _he bellowed, the sound echoing around the village. Many of the Kokiri stopped what they were doing to stare at me. I shrugged helplessly, feeling my face turning redder and redder as the King of Red Lions started to spew out a string of foul language. "Why you- Can't believe that you'd, you little- Don't know why I even bother- All this- and wasting- time, could end up losing it all, and you- just-" Cradling my head in my right hand, I closed my fist over the stone in my left, which helped to muffle the sound a little.

Then, I hurried back over to Shadow's pack, and after dismissing Red with a shaky, "I'll talk to you later," over his cursing, I stuffed the green gem back into the pocket I'd taken it out of. I decided to leave the bag where it was, just in case Red called back. _:Heh, I think he's just a bit annoyed with me now.: _But, after managing to help defeat the giant Wolfos-man, Red didn't seem quite so scary as he used to. _:Though some of those swearwords were pretty rude:_ I thought, twisting my hands together and feeling embarrassed. _:I wonder what Grandma would say if she'd heard that: _Red's voice continued in his angry tirade, but thankfully, I couldn't make out any words through the fabric of Shadow's bag.

Slightly surprised at my own actions, I sat down next to Shadow again, and looked up at the canopy overhead. The sounds of Red's protest soon died away into background noise, covered up by the sounds of the Kokiri as they continued their games. I let my mind wander, not really thinking about anything, and waited for something to happen.

I didn't have to wait long – all of a sudden, the girl in indigo shrieked loud enough to make a Kokiri who'd been showing off by balancing on a log, fall off and land with a multitude of cracks in a bush. Normally, something like this would probably have made me laugh, but that scream had scared the heck out of me! Bending over, eyes screwed up against the volume of her yell, I pressed my hand against her forehead, and tried to wake her up. _:She must be having one _bad_ nightmare:_

"Shadow? Shadow, what is it? Shadow, can you hear me?" She jumped away from my touch, and turned her face away from me. I tried again, taking advantage of the gap in her scream when she ran out of air: "Shadow, it's me, it's Rufus – please, calm down, you're not well!" She sat up, and the claw marks in her chest blossomed with an alarming amount of red wetness. I grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to lie down again so that she didn't end up making herself even worse. _:Drat, I should have given her more potion the first time around:_ I panicked when I saw that all of wounds were open again.

She looked terribly pale, and her breath was ragged. I touched my hand to her forehead again, and when I measured her temperature against my own, I realised she had a fever, on top of everything else. Frowning, I reassured her with some nonsense words, and looked around to see if I could see Luna and Phoebus. _:I wonder how long they'll be.: _I didn't have a clue how far into the forest we were as it was, so it could be anything from a few hours to half the day…

Thinking back to how my Grandma used to deal with fevers, I remembered that she always used a cold compress to try and bring the temperature down. "You're still far too warm," I muttered, rummaging through my bag to find my bottle of water. Then, after a bit more searching, I managed to find a scrap of material at the very bottom of my bag. I rolled it up, doused it in water, and then rung it out. I placed the compress on her forehead, and held it there; as soon as the cold touched her skin, she looked up at me. "Does that feel better?"

"Yes, thank you," she answered, blinking quickly and waking up properly. I wondered what her nightmare had been about, but decided not to ask. After the answers I'd received in the past, I could guess that it hadn't been pleasant…

* * *

"_Darling? Come on pet, it's time." A hand stroked the hair from my face, warm and dry against my fever-slicked skin. I wriggled slightly, and groaned as I found that everywhere ached terribly. "Shush love, it's all right, I have something for you." Lips ghosted across my brow, kissing my forehead and then my hair, before moving to my nose, and then my mouth. I cracked open one eye at this, and managed to jerk my head back in the tender hold the person had on me. He smiled, seemingly relieved._

_I gaped. Opened the other eye. Blinked a few times. Registered what I saw. And screamed._

"Shadow? Shadow! What is it? Shadow, can you hear me?" A hand moved to press against my clammy forehead, and I jerked away. I drew another breath, wanting to scream away my nightmare, to scream until my lungs were empty and I could scream no more. "Shadow – it's me – it's Rufus. Please, calm down, you're not well!" At some point, I'd managed to sit up, and he gently, but firmly, pushed me to lie down again. The aching feeling of the dream had now turned into throbbing pain, and it was all I could do not to weep.

I fell silent, breath coming in short, sharp gasps. "There you go," Rufus murmured, hand now pressed against my forehead, the other against his own. "You're still far too warm," he said, more to himself than to me. I relaxed a little more, the blur of green that was Rufus (I couldn't seem to focus my eyes properly) real and solid. Nothing like the… _:Gods, he… Why would he be so- Why did he? It must have been another trick, I…:_

I started as something cold and wet touched my brow; it was only a compress, which Rufus carefully held in place. "Does that feel better?" I licked my lips (in doing so, I realised that my mask was gone), and managed to whisper,

"Yes, thank you." As my eyes focused, I was able to push away the disturbing dream…no, nightmare…that had awoken me. _:Dragmire's good with his tricks…at least, if he's trying to disturb me, it's certainly working.:_ I expected an angry outcry at this thought, but he remained oddly silent. Indeed, I couldn't even feel him lurking around in the back of my mind, as he had before we began our quest for the lost Koroks… My mind was blissfully my own. _:But, in that case, why did I…? NO! I wouldn't – couldn't – he…no:_

I closed my eyes again, recollecting the short space of contentment within the dream. For dream I supposed it must be – the concoction of my own feverish mind. _:How could I think of something like that? It's – it's not right! I shouldn't be thinking of-:_ I felt disgusted with what I seemed to have dreamed up by myself. Surely I couldn't secretly want Dragmire to- _:To what exactly:_ To care for me…?

_:No. It's just madness. I'm ill. It's made me crazy.:_ It was a feeble excuse, even to myself. But, it was better than trying to fathom just why I was dreaming of the enemy. Why I felt a slight longing to fall asleep again, to contain my scream, brush that auburn hair away from his face and… I gave myself a sharp mental slap, and opened my eyes to look up at Rufus, who was reassuringly battered and worn looking, to push the Gerudo out of my mind. "How are you feeling?" I rasped, drawing in breath carefully, as even small movements made my ribs protest.

His reaction to this was surprising. He just stared gormlessly at me for a second or two, and then snorted, before dissolving into a fit of laughter. I watched him as tears of mirth started in the corners of his eyes, and saw the bruises and cuts on his knuckles as he swept a hand across his wet cheeks. I wondered whether he himself was quite all right in the head. _:Perhaps the forest has turned us both mad.: _Suddenly, the events leading up to this flashed through my mind, and I stared at the glass bottle nestled in the grass by Rufus' foot.

I smiled slightly, able to see just what Rufus found so amusing. Despite the pain, I could understand just how funny my question must have seemed, all things considered…

When he managed to calm down enough to draw breath, he just nodded, answering in a tremulous, breathless whisper, "Fine, thanks."

"Good," I returned the nod awkwardly from my lying position. He seemed to suddenly remember something, and turned around to start digging into his bag. He came up with a bottle full of bright blue liquid, and uncorked it.

"Would you like any more of this?" he shook the bottle slightly; a few spatters of potion fell onto his legs – the large gash on his right knee faded away. "I gave you some whilst you were still out, but I didn't want to give you too much, you know?"

"Some more would be nice," I decided, extending a hand for the bottle. "How long was I out for?"

"Oh, only about an hour – there's still a good two or three hours left until sunset, so we have plenty of time to get back." He handed me the fine glass bottle, though didn't let go completely: instead, he helped me to tip the container so that I could drink from it. "Enough?"

"Yes thanks," I let him take the potion (the bottle was now about half empty), and sighed as I felt it beginning to work its magic. Then, curiosity took hold, and I asked, "Where are we?"

"Still in the village," he answered shortly, looking off the left at a rustling sound in the undergrowth. "And you're not going to believe what happened!"

"I think after all this, it'd be pretty hard to shock either one of us," I quipped, nervously tossing my head so that my hair (which was loose again) fell to cover at least half of my face. This done, I didn't feel quite so naked… "So, what's happened then?" He coughed a little to clear his throat before he started speaking, and then said,

"Oh, and don't worry – I told Red that we'd need a little bit more time; sorry, I had to use your stone for that…" I blinked at the name, before asking (though I could easily hazard a guess as to what the answer would be),

"And how did he respond?" The Hylian flushed slightly, and scratched the back of his head – he wasn't wearing his hat, and his hair stuck out at odd angles around his head.

"Not very well. He swore quite a bit actually," he gave me a conspiratorial half smile. "I ended up just stuffing the stone back into your pack – and sorry, I would have asked, but-"

"That's all right," I assured him. Now that he'd mentioned the King of Red Lions, I could recognize the tone of his voice, still ranting from whatever pocket in my bag Rufus had put the stone in. Thankfully, I was only able to make out a few of the choice words he was using: curiously, he seemed to be cursing in Goron.

"Just wanted to see what was happening," he supplied with a shrug, looking over his shoulder at a particularly loud exclamation. "I just wish I could figure out how to turn it off," he added with a frown.

"Speaking of what's happening, you said you had something to tell me," I prompted, struggling to get into a sitting position (_:that potion works fast:_). He reached out to help me, but I batted his hand away. A startled gasp escaped him, and I winced – I hadn't meant to… _:It was just a reflex…that damned dream: _"Nah, it's OK, I can do it," I murmured, trying to excuse the action. He didn't respond, and waited patiently for me to finally flump onto my backside facing him. Thankfully, the pain had been almost completely numbed, and though it was a little uncomfortable to sit up straight, I found that leaning on my right arm relieved the pressure on my ribs and made sitting bearable. "That's better…so…what am I 'not going to believe'?"

Thankfully, Rufus' features brightened a little at my question. "Well, there's quite a few things actually!" he shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable on the flower-carpeted ground, and then indicated the village around with his left arm. "For one thing, just take a look around." I did as he asked, quickly scanning my surroundings (and inwardly feeling horrified that I hadn't done it sooner) – we were surrounded. I went for my whip immediately, only to find Rufus wrapping strong fingers around my wrist. "No!" he hissed, though the smile was still there. "Look again – they're free now… They were under some sort of spell or something before, but now that the Lord is gone, they're back to normal!"

He released his hold, and I took another look around, this time doing so slowly so that I could take in the scene. _:I can see what he means.:_ Gone were the cruel, child-like creatures of before, now replaced with true children; they ran and tumbled through the undergrowth, each one of them tailed by a glimmering fairy partner. Laughter rang through the forest, and I couldn't help the smile that came to my face. "I think we've been invited to the Korok's yearly ceremony as well," Rufus added, stretching languidly and plucking a few daisies from the ground.

"Sounds good," I nodded, scooping up my own handful of flowers, and inhaling their scent. _:Lovely.:_ Now that we were free from any immediate danger, and the throbbing of my wounds had died down so that I barely noticed them, I felt able to appreciate the simple beauty of this place. Released from whatever dark spell it had been placed under, the forest was a veritable paradise…

"_Rufus!"_

_:Looks like I'm going to be proved wrong:_ I thought, even as the Hylian and I scrambled to our feet, and looked skyward, seeking out the grey fairy. She came hurtling towards us from the other side of the village, a few other fairies following in her wake (Phoebus included). The Kokiri had ceased their games, and congregated around the two of us, faces curious and a little frightened. Self-consciously, I fumbled with my facemask, and managed to tie it loosely in place. It would have to do.

"What is it?" Rufus demanded as soon as Luna drew close. She halted a few feet before us, and I could see her chest rise and fall with her erratic breaths.

"The Lord-" she panted, and I felt as though the blue potion I'd swallowed earlier had turned to ice in my stomach.

"What about the Lord?" I prompted, taking a step forwards. A Kokiri to my left looked up at me in wonder, and then shyly looked away when I returned the gaze.

"H-he's _gone_," the small fairy said, her voice filled with a mixture of horror and disbelief. "We went back to…well…get rid of the body," this she said in a hurry – I wondered whether she was trying to prevent the Kokiri from understanding what she meant by this – before continuing, "and when we got to the place where he fell, there was nothing there."

"Nothing?" Rufus echoed, sounding as confused as I felt. "Were there any tracks? Maybe someone…or _something_…took him away?" Luna just shook her head,

"No, there was nothing – just an empty space where the body was… Come and see for yourself!" she bristled slightly, and the Hylian immediately assured her,

"I'm not saying that I don't believe you; it's just a bit weird." He looked over to me, and raised both eyebrows questioningly.

"We should probably go and have a look," I decided, in answer to his un-voiced question. "There might be some clue that you missed in your hurry." The grey fairy glowered again, but said nothing, instead turning around and zooming back the way she'd come. Rufus and I followed, with the Kokiri tentatively attempting to creep along behind us. With a small shake of the head, I wondered what even Firen, with his great clumsiness, would make of the small creatures' attempts at stealth. Twigs snapped and small curses filtered through the otherwise silent forest as toes were stubbed.

All thoughts of home were pushed to the back of my mind when we reached the scene of the battle. I could see the splintered remains of the tree in which the Lord had embedded his blade, and blood spattered the ground. _:I wonder how much of it belongs to Rufus and I:_ I thought idly, bending down to see if I could spot any tracks that might indicate where the body had gone. My travelling companion did the same a few feet away, though I doubted he even knew what he was looking for. The fact that he was willing to try did make me feel grateful however.

Carefully, I swept aside the carpet of crushed flowers underfoot so that I could study the earth beneath for some clues. There was nothing…all the marks on the ground were far too old to be of any consequence, and the newer ones were all there from the fight. I frowned, and stood up – sometimes it was easier to make out patterns when you were farther away. Taking a few steps back, I motioned to Rufus, "Could you just step back for a moment?" He complied readily, and I saw the grey fairy land on his shoulder out of the corner of my eye: she had a smug look on her face, and crossed her arms over her chest in triumph.

_:There! It's small, but it's there: _I hurried forwards again, and bent down to scoop up a tiny glittering shard from amongst the soft flower petals. Only by standing back had I been able to catch the telltale glimmer of light moving over the object. My fingers caught on a sharp edge, and I winced as blood welled up from the small wound. _:Ouch:. _However, I ignored the small pain, and brought it closer to my eyes so that I could study it.

"What is it?" Luna asked breathlessly, having fallen from her mighty position and come to hover at the level of my right ear. I turned the pale amber, translucent thing over and laid it on my palm, the decorated side facing upwards.

"It's a crystal of some sort, though I'm not sure exactly what kind… Do you recognize the symbols?" I allowed her to land on my outstretch palm, and she knelt down in order to get a proper look at the gem-shard. After a few seconds, she reached out to touch it, and immediately flinched back; the tips of her fingers were blackened, and she squeaked in surprise and pain.

"What happened?" Rufus leant around my other shoulder to look at the grey fairy with obvious concern.

"Dark magic…very dark magic," she whispered, suddenly sounding terrified. "And I think I do recognise it now," she rocked back onto her haunches, and looked up at me. "We thought we had problems before…but I think things are going to get a lot worse for everyone." A shiver of dread ran through her – I could feel the vibrations through my palm…

_The shadow of a man flitted through the trees, chasing after a mounted party and easily keeping up with them, as their horses became entangled in the dense vegetation. He moved silently, and with the grace of a Sheikah, though it was obvious by his build that he must be a Hylian. I gave chase, effortlessly keeping up with the hunter, and took up a hidden position when he stopped. He had taken a position directly above the four riders, who were cursing and trying to cut their way through the undergrowth: the horses were restless, and pawed the ground nervously. _

_One of the four below took a bow from their back, and notched an arrow, looking upwards with fear-filled eyes. He wore the full armour of an old Hylian guard, and I knew at once that this vision was far in the past. Curiously, I made to creep closer to the man, wondering who he was. But, before I'd even grabbed onto the next branch, he dropped to the leaf-litter carpeted ground with nary more than a whisper, and killed the Hylian man with one swipe of his blade. _

_I squinted, wondering for a brief second why the light wasn't penetrating the canopy with the same brilliance it had been only a moment before… And then, with a sick lurch, I realised whom I was watching. He picked off another two of the party with ease, red blood spraying and perfectly matching the colour of his glowing eyes. The last remaining Hylian was clutching onto the reins of his horse, eyes unfocused with madness as he watched his assailant draw nearer. "No – back – demon, get back, monster!"_

_Without any sort of preamble, the shadowy creature dispatched the last man, who slithered to the ground, still gargling through his torn throat, "demon, demon, evil…" He soon fell silent, and the shadow wiped his sword upon the clothes of the last Hylian. _

"_I'm no less a monster than you," he hissed vehemently, spitting on the now still corpse. "Vermin." He added a kick for good measure, and then suddenly looked skyward. Even though I knew he couldn't see me, my heart leapt into my mouth to have those eyes looking directly at me _:through me:_. All around him, the forest glowed with the merry green of spring…but no amount of light could ever make this creature appear merry, nor give him the same pleasant glow. _

"The Shade," I said aloud as the vision left me. It had all passed through my mind in the blink of an eye, and I swayed slightly as the realisation hit me. It was only Rufus' suddenly deathly-tight grip on my shoulders that stopped me from stumbling.

"Surely, you don't mean what I think you mean," he gulped, relinquishing his grip. I blinked, and turned to look at him. By the look of horror on his face, it seemed he knew who I meant…_:odd…I wouldn't have thought he would know…:_ I brushed aside this oversight on my part, and nodded.

"I'm afraid I do. And this must be what has kept him imprisoned here for all of these years…after the defeat in the Water Temple, Dragmire confined the Shade to the woods, in order to deal damage to the people and places that the Hero loved the most…"

"And now it's broken…" Rufus reached out to stop Luna from falling from my upturned palm, after managing to shakily regain her feet.

"He's been unleashed," she finished for him, smiling her thanks for his assistance. "I'm all right now," she added, taking to the air once more.

"But…" I frowned deeply, "why would he have taken up the form of the Lord?"

"Is it important?" she asked, gratefully accepting the comforting arm that Phoebus threw over her shoulder.

"It could be," I nodded, chewing my lip as I tried to figure out what we should do. I'd heard many tales about the Shade – the creature who had been fashioned to challenge the Hero, and had been his exact opposite – but never, even in my worst nightmares, had I expected to come across him. _:Will he interfere with our quest:_ I supposed that was probably the main issue. _:After so many years, will he still be loyal to Dragmire, or will he just be a rogue creature:_ Finally, I wondered, _:How much damage will he cause now that he's loose:_

Rufus seemed to echo my sentiments, as he wondered aloud, "What are we going to do?" whilst looking up at me, obviously hoping for a plan.

"Uh…" I began, staring at the broken piece of the ancient magical seal in the vain hope that it would give me an idea. Everyone gathered around – the fairies, Rufus, and the curious Kokiri – waited in silence for my next words. I felt sweat beading on my temples, and wished that they would stop staring at me so plainly! Desperately, I tried to seek out the sensible part of my mind: thankfully, a few deep breaths and mental repetitions of old class mantras made me feel more like my old, calm self.

After a few seconds to think my idea over, I looked at Rufus, and nodded slightly. "I do have an idea." His expression brightened immediately, and I felt an oddly strong surge of affection for the Hylian. _:He has such faith in me… I only hope that I don't let him down.:_

"Go on," he urged.

"Well – the other isle would probably be a lot safer, what with the protection of the Great Deku Tree, and the presence of all the other Koroks. Perhaps…perhaps if everyone could move to the other isle…at least until…until…"

"He's dealt with," Rufus supplied matter-of-factly, though there was a telltale tremor in his voice that said he hoped he wouldn't have to be the one to 'deal' with the Shade. I nodded,

"Exactly." He frowned, and then sighed heavily.

"Luna-" he began, but the fairy cut him off,

"Already on it." With that, she zoomed off, to start informing the Kokiri of their impending migration. Rufus sighed again, seemingly deflated. Realising that I really needed to lighten the mood before his morale hit rock bottom, I said,

"Well, I suppose at least Red'll be happy."

"Hrm?" he looked up at me with questioning eyes.

"Well, what with the move, the ceremony probably won't be happening today…which means we can 'get going' to wherever he says we need to go next." He blinked at this, and then chuckled softly,

"Good point." He looked at the scene around us, and then looked back at me. "I don't think there's really anything we can do…so…we may as well go back to Red."

"That's just what I was thinking." And with that, we set about saying our goodbyes to the forest village. Hurrying over to collect our belongings, I noticed that Red had fallen silent at last. I was relieved that the tirade was over, but it seemed a little strange…

* * *

I shivered as we hurried back towards the battlefield, though the afternoon air was warm and balmy. There was something suddenly wrong, and I hugged my arms around myself as Luna led the way. The Kokiri followed us, silent… The whole forest seemed suddenly empty, save for our footfalls, and the rustle of flowers that we trod underfoot. Even Red's voice had died away to nothing. I sucked in a breath of air as I caught sight of the huge patches of blood on the ground, and let it out slowly. 

Shadow crouched down to search for clues, and I did the same, though I didn't really know what I should be looking for. Looking at her out of the corner of my eye, I copied her movements, and looked out for anything that seemed out of place. But all I found were twigs, leaves and mud. Nothing surprising there. Luna came down to hover next to me, casting light on the patch of earth I was scrutinizing, hoping to find something, but scared of what I might find.

"Could you just step back for a moment?" Shadow asked; she obviously hadn't found anything yet. I could see Luna's smug grin out of the corner of my eye, and made a note to tell her off for it later. The indigo clad girl was doing her best – she had been unconscious for quite a while after all! It's not like we could expect her to be able to figure out everything all the time- She suddenly bent down and plucked something from the flower-carpeted ground.

It glimmered in her hand, and Luna's smug look dissolved, to be replaced by one of extreme curiosity. She launched gently from my shoulder, and hung in the air next to Shadow's head. I walked over as well, and peered over her shoulder at the thing. It looked like a piece of glass…or maybe crystal…and it shone even though it was in the shade. I thought briefly that it looked about the same colour as Quill's eyes, though quickly returned to the conversation at hand when the grey fairy landed on Shadow's outstretched palm in order to look at the shining, yellow fragment.

"Do you recognize the symbols?" Shadow queried. Luna didn't answer, and instead tapped the thing with her fingers. She reacted as though the thing had burned her, yanking her hand back to her chest and yelping in pain.

"What happened?" I asked, thinking that perhaps I should go and get what was left of my blue potion for her. The shudder that ran through her when she next spoke rooted me to the spot, however.

"Dark magic…very dark magic…" I felt my heart sink at that. Anything involving magic didn't seem to be good, from what I'd experienced so far… "We thought we had problems before…" Luna looked up at Shadow, "but I think thinks are going to get a lot worse for everyone." The Sheikah girl's eyes widened for a second, and then comprehension dawned on her face.

"The Shade." I blinked, and my heart sank so much that it buried itself in the ground underneath my feet. My fingers clenched on Shadow's shoulder, and I let go as soon as I realised what I was doing. Hoping I'd mis-heard, I stammered,

"Surely, you don't mean what I think you mean." She turned to look at me, and her eyes said it all. _:Oh Gods no.: _I thought back to the many stories of the old days my parents had told me, and the ones I'd read myself when I was older, borrowing from Sturgeon's huge collection of books. Ganondorf was the villain yes, but it had always been the Shade that had woken me with nightmares, cold sweat on my forehead, and Grandma having to sooth me back to sleep. And now, the thing of my nightmares – which Grandma had assured me could never hurt me – was suddenly a very real threat.

"I'm afraid I do. And this must be what has kept him imprisoned here for all of these years…after the defeat in the Water Temple, Dragmire confined the Shade to the wood, in order to deal damage to the people and places that the Hero loved the most…" The grey fairy in her palm swooned, and I reached out to catch her as she fell.

"And now it's broken…"

"He's been unleashed," Luna supplied, leaning on my fingers for a few more moments before taking to the air again. "I'm all right now," she nodded at me.

"But why would he have taken up the form of the Lord?" I looked incredulously at Shadow, thinking that this was an odd question.

"Is it important?" the grey fairy asked before I could get there. The girl nodded,

"It could be."

"What are we going to do?" I asked, looking firstly at the shining thing and then at my travelling companion. I didn't even have a starting point for a plan, and I hoped that she'd come up with something brilliant to make up for my lack of contribution. It didn't take very long, and again I felt it awe of her ability to stay calm under pressure.

"I do have an idea." I smiled at her encouragingly,

"Go on."

"Well, the other isle would probably be a lot safer, what with the protection of the Great Deku Tree, and the presence of all the other Koroks… Perhaps…perhaps if everyone could move to the other isle…at least until – until-"

"He's dealt with," I finished, hoping fervently that we weren't going to be the ones dealing with him. She nodded, and I felt slightly better at the look of apprehension that I could see on her face as well.

"Exactly."

"Luna-" I began, but she'd already figured out what I was going to say, and zipped off,

"Already on it!" She flew from Kokiri to Kokiri, babbling instructions as she went. I sighed as I watched her, and wondered why I hadn't thought of Shadow's plan…as soon as she'd said it, it had seemed like the obvious thing to do. _:Well, I'm not exactly here because of my brains, am I: _I reasoned, though it didn't do much to make me feel better.

"Well…I suppose at least Red'll be happy."

"Hrm?" I glanced up at Shadow, not sure what she was getting at.

"Well, what with the move, the ceremony probably won't be happening today…which means we can get going to wherever he says we need to go next." I laughed at this, and silently hoped that Red wouldn't be too angry with me over our previous conversation. The fact that he'd stopped yelling seemed like a good sign that he might have cooled off.

"Good point," I took a quick look around, and then decided, "I don't think there's really anything we can do…so…we may as well go back to Red."

"That's just what I was thinking," she agreed with a slight nod of the head. "Shall we go and get our things then?"

"May as well." Together, we walked away from the bloody and churned mud of the battleground. As soon as we were away from it, I felt the tension in my limbs ease up a little…though not much. The fear that the Shade could come upon us at any moment made the hair at the base of my neck bristle, and I could feel my palms beginning to sweat. I looked at Shadow to gauge her reaction to the situation, and noticed that her right hand never strayed far from the handle of her whip, even when she hurriedly sorted out the straps on her bag as she flung it over her shoulder. I took my cue from her, and as soon as I had my pack, I unsheathed my sword.

"Probably a good idea," she murmured with an approving nod. She slipped the whip from its catch on her belt, and held it coiled in her fist. "I can't sense anything close by, but, in this forest…well…it's hard to get my bearings," she admitted. "Best to be prepared."

"Yeah…" Towards the other end of the village, the Kokiri began to herd together, and set off down a rugged footpath that must lead towards the sea. I wondered how they were going to get back to the other island – I mean, they couldn't fly like the Koroks, and the cliffs were huge. Just as I wondered that, another thought struck me – how were _we_ going to get back to the other island? Just as I was about to voice this question, Luna turned back from her position at the head of the line of Kokiri, and flew fast as an arrow back to us.

"I almost forgot – the Koroks said that they'd collect you from the cliffs…that's where we're all going. You two can go first, and I'll set up a relay for the rest," she informed the two of us breathlessly. (Or rather, she looked at me the entire time she said it, and only gave Shadow the barest of nods before flying off again.) I made another mental note to tell the grey fairy to be nicer to my companion the next time we met.

* * *

_  
The cold dead body of the girl was heavy in his arms, but he couldn't leave her. She was the last thing left to him – the Gerudo had taken everything else. Soon, if he didn't figure something out, he would take her as well, and then there would be nothing left. There would be no help from the Hylian; no one would help a traitor to the King after all, least of all the King himself. He clutched the girl tight, her chestnut hair soaking up his tears as he urged the horse to go faster, desperate to be lost within the sands of the desert forever. He was alone, and he was nothing – the magic called insistently, and he wanted to give in, to stop feeling – he fought it, just as he had all the other times. _

_But in the end, just like all the others before him, and the countless others there would doubtless be after him, he gave in. The comforting tendrils of fiery magic seeped into every pore, and his grip on the girl loosened: the horse slowed, and as soon as it drew to a stop, he hopped to the ground, discharging the girl with little more care than he would any other package. The Gerudo drew level, and smiled a smile that had charmed a thousand and more. A final remnant of the man he'd been before this mess began rose to the surface, and the last thing he remembered was the hatred that made his eyes burn red._

* * *

By the time we finally drew near to the beach on the Forest Haven, the sun was low in the sky, and I could see the first few stars appearing in the sky. Throughout the journey, neither Shadow or myself had put down our weapons, and my left arm was starting to get sore from carrying the weight of my sword. When we came to a particularly tricky section of the downward slope, I re-sheathed the blade, and slithered down sideways, to meet up with Shadow at the bottom. She caught me when I stumbled, and I gave her an exhausted but thankful smile. 

"Nearly there," she assured me, and my smile widened.

"Thank the Gods for that – I was beginning to think the island had grown a few thousand feet since we were last here!" She chuckled and shook her head a little at this, before picking her way down the rugged path with the grace of a mountain goat. I plonked along behind her, just glad that I hadn't yet taken a tumble.

Heights certainly weren't my thing. The flight back to the Forest Haven had been bad enough; I think I probably kept my eyes closed all the way. At least this time the landing had been a little softer! And it had been nice to say a quick goodbye to the Koroks (especially Hollo) before we had to leave.

"Ooof!" I'd been so busy thinking, that I'd managed to walk straight into Shadow, who'd suddenly stopped dead. "What is it?" I asked, dropping my voice to a whisper as I realised that something was wrong. She didn't answer straightaway, and instead delved into her pack, and drew out the green gem. "Shadow?"

"Red?" she tried softly. The gem remained dull, and there was a note of panic in her voice when she said, "there's no answer."

"He's probably just asleep," I tried to assure her, though I could feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck again. Stepping around the Sheikah, I looked down at the beach…but I couldn't spot the King of Red Lions. The tree we'd moored him too still had a length of rope tied around it…the end was frayed, and bobbed slightly in the rising tide…

It had been cut.

* * *

_  
DUN DUN DUN!_

_Cough, cough. Yay the angsty back-stories! _

_Also, sorry this was such a short chapter. But, after H-7 managed to return an email to me within twenty four hours of me sending one, I thought I'd rise to the challenge and post a new chapter. Cos I'm awesome _grins.


	24. Together: Quite a Predicament

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_In the last chapter, our dynamic duo discovered that there was a lot more to the Lord than they thought – in fact, an even greater and more terrible power has been unleashed. Not only that, but they have returned to the beach only to find that the King of Red Lions is gone, and they have no way to continue their journey without him! Both of our adventurers are exhausted, and Gods only know what's going to be thrown at them next…will they ever see Red again, or is he gone for good? _

* * *

_**  
Together: Quite a Predicament**_

"Red!" I tried again, bringing the stone close to my face, and willing it to spark to life. "Red, can you hear me?" Silence… "Red?" I shook the stone, wondering why the connection wouldn't work. "Red? If you can hear me, please answer!" Silence.

Well, that wasn't entirely true…the sound of the waves lapping against the shore had changed. Where before the water had swished softly across the sand, now they thudded dully against wood, giving a hollow sound. :_Like the hull of a boat: _"Red?" I tried again, ignoring the desperately worried and confused look that Rufus gave me, as I started down towards the beach with new determination. _:Perhaps he left to do some errand of other, and cut the rope himself.: _However, the boat that was quickly growing upon the horizon was not the scarlet one that I'd hoped for.

"Marie!" Rufus exclaimed, having managed to follow my mad dash down the hill. He pulled the hat from his head – exposing a mass of hair that was even more unruly than it had been the last time I'd seen it – and waved it above his head as the pirate began lowering the sail. A few moments later, she'd flung the landing rope towards us, and I was surprised when Rufus deftly managed to catch it out of the air. I stood stock-still, the stone clasped tightly in my sweaty palm, and watched the other two bring the boat in with a sense of detached disbelief.

Surely…surely it couldn't be coincidence that she'd appear just as we'd lost our guide and transport… I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the pirate woman and wondered again whether Red had been right to trust her. _:Not that it looks like I'll be able to question him on it.:_

"Shadow?" Rufus pulled me out of my reverie, handing me a rope, "help us pull Flo up a little?" I nodded, and obediently tugged on the rope, shuffling backwards through the sand, taking advantage of the wash as it moved the boat up the beach, and bracing against the swash when it tried to snatch the rope from my hands. Rufus and Marie were working with another rope, coiling the excess around the very same tree that still had the remains of Red's landing rope around its trunk.

When it was done, I flexed my fingers, wincing as the numbness left my body, and I felt the rope-burns on my palms. Marie flopped heavily onto the sand, not seeming to care as it stuck to her sodden clothes and skin. "So," she began, slightly out of breath, "where's Red?" The inflection of her question forced me to relinquish my doubts about the pirate: it was obvious that she honestly had no idea. _/How can you be sure? Surely someone who has hidden a piece of the Tri-Force for so long cannot be trustworthy…and you know the wench's track record well… Indeed, so do I/_Dragmire added, sounding a little amused. However, all his sudden return into my mind did was enforce my belief that my suspicions of the pirate had been unfounded.

_/What, you don't trust your instincts/_

_:I don't trust any advice given to me by the likes of you:_I replied curtly, even as I gave the pirate woman a proper welcoming smile, and then went over as Rufus shrugged and replied,

"We have no idea." He gestured to the remaining frayed strands of the mooring rope. "We came back, and that was all that was left."

"By the Gods," she breathed, shaking her head, "it'd have to be someone powerful to take the King of Red Lions." She held the end of the rope between the thumb and forefinger of her left hand, and prodded it with the forefinger of her right. "See, whoever it was had to use magic to cut him loose." At the mention of magic, my brain kicked into overdrive.

"Magic?" I repeated, peering at the blackened twine in the pirate's hands. She obligingly handed it to me – the telltale tingle in my fingertips told me that she was right.

_/I could have told you that./_

_:I thought you were adamant that I wasn't to trust her.:_

_/She may not be trustworthy, but that doesn't mean she's an idiot… Though I must say, I'm surprised it's taking you so long to figure this out./_

_:Shut up: _I snapped, narrowing my eyes and wondering what on earth the Gerudo was on about. What was I missing?

_/Besides a brain/ _he offered slyly. I darkly thought a few choice swearwords that he himself had succeeded in teaching me. _/Tut, tut, no need to be rude./_

_:From the one who took control of my body and tried to get me to work as a field agent by force? I don't think you can make any comment about rudeness, Dragmire.:_

_/Apologies. Perhaps we could find a more pleasant way to cooperate next time/ _he purred, lewd insinuation lacing every syllable. I flushed, and forced my ever-wandering attention back to the question at hand. _/Would you like a hint, or shall I just tell you and put you out of your misery now/ _he taunted.

"Who would want to take the King of Red Lions anyway?" Rufus asked, obviously thinking aloud. I saw Marie shake her head out of the corner of my eye, smiling slightly at the Hylian.

"Any thief would _want_ to steal him… But only someone extremely good would be able to… They'd have to have some basic knowledge of magic at the very least." As soon as this was out of the pirate's mouth, I saw Rufus' gaze shift onto me, and quickly away again.

_:Oh, that's all I need, is the boy not trusting me again: _I thought exasperatedly, cursing Dragmire as he chuckled softly in my head. _:And you can just be quiet:_

_/And miss the fun? I think not somehow… You still haven't solved this riddle…/_

_:Either tell me, or be quiet:_

_/But it's so much more enjoyable watching you get riled – I wonder what the flush of anger looks like on your cheeks…/ _Before his comments could get into the realms in impropriety, I turned to the other two, letting the rope drop back to the sand.

"How do you know that any old miscreant hasn't taken Red?" I asked, managing to keep the vague hostility I felt towards the pirate out of my voice. "Surely, it can't be as hard as you suggest to sever the rope?"

"You'd be surprised," Marie murmured, eyes shifting to the sand underfoot. I raised my eyebrow at this – Rufus looked between the two of us, and understanding slowly dawned on his face as he saw the guiltily slumped shoulders of the pirate.

"You tried to steal him, didn't you?" he gasped, his face one of shocked amusement. "Is that how you met?" Marie mumbled something indistinguishable. "It is how you met, isn't it!" Rufus crowed, a broad grin cracking his face.

"…yeah, it is…" the pirate confessed, a guilty grin crossing her own face as well as she looked at Rufus. I shook my head disbelievingly. "And I'll admit, I damn near wet myself when the boat I was trying to steal started shouting at me, before sending me flying ten feet in the air, and dropping me into the sea." The Hylian snorted, and even I had to smile at her graphic description. "Trust me, someone without magic wouldn't have a chance."

"And someone with magic would easily be able to stop him from answering us," I added, thoughtfully closing my fist over the green gem. "Which begs the question – what are we to do next?" Strangely, as soon as I voiced the question, Dragmire vacated my mind with speed. I frowned suspiciously, before brushing it aside. I wasn't about to worry about the strategy of the enemy. Though…just before he'd gone… Well, I thought I'd detected fear…

_:It doesn't matter.: _I decided. It would be nice to have a few quiet minutes in my own mind after all.

* * *

"Any thief would _want _to steal him," Marie said with a slight grin, and then with a shrug, she continued, "But, only someone extremely good would be able to. They'd have to have some basic knowledge of magic at the very least." I looked over at Shadow for a moment, and then put the idea right out of my mind. _:She was with me the whole time anyway, there's no way she could have done anything… And that Dragmire person… Maybe it was something to do with him:_ That seemed to be the most likely thing after all. 

Seeing that she had dropped her rope, I moved over to pick it up, but stopped when she turned around to face Marie fully. "How do you know that any old miscreant hasn't taken Red? Surely, it can't be as hard as you suggest to sever the rope?" I stepped around the Sheikah and picked up the rope, which was almost immediately tugged from my hands as a large wave picked Flo up. Listening hard, I began wrapping the excess around the sturdy looking trunk of a low shrub.

"You'd be surprised," Marie muttered guiltily, and I looked up from the knot. _:Surely not:_ But the look on her face told me everything I needed to know. Biting back laughter, I said,

"You tried to steal him, didn't you?" She looked away guiltily, sifting sand between her fingers. "Is that how you met?" She grunted, and I pushed, "It is how you met, isn't it?" I snorted, finishing the knot and standing up straight. I took up the stance that Grandma always used when she was angry – hands on hips and with a face like thunder…though I couldn't keep my face straight for long!

"Yeah, it is," she admitted, flushing and looking guilty. Shadow shook her head, and I could tell by her crinkled eyes that she was smiling as well. "And I'll admit," Marie began in a confiding tone, "I damn near wet myself when the boat I was trying to steal started shouting at me, before sending me flying ten feet in the air, and dropping me into the sea!" I couldn't contain my laughter at this, and chuckled at the mental image the pirate had given me. Now grinning broadly herself, she added surely, "Trust me, someone without magic wouldn't have a chance."

Shadow grasped the green gem in her hand tightly. "And someone with magic would easily be able to stop him from answering us." I saw her shoulders slump, and she looked out over the water, "Which begs the question…what are we to do next?" My mind jumped at her question, and something important immediately ran out of reach. I knew that I had the answer, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was. _:Drat… It's just like when Aryll asked me what sort of fish we were eating for dinner one night, and I couldn't remember what it was… They were kippers I think…: _I shook my head – now wasn't the time to be thinking about home. I needed to concentrate!

After a few seconds silence, Marie tentatively ventured, "Didn't Red say something about Greatfish?" Immediately, I remembered that that was the last island the King of Red Lions had marked onto my sea-chart.

"That's it!" I nodded, immediately shedding my pack, and dropping to my knees on the sand in front of it. After rifling through (and shoving away a small crab that tried to climb up my boot), I pulled out the slightly damp map. "I remember him marking where we had to go on this chart," I explained as the other two settled on the ground either side of me.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense – that's where the Great Jabun is believed to live…at least, I think so," Shadow said, trailing her finger across the slightly smudged lines of the map. "The Great Jabun would be the last of the three Great Spirits…it'd be likely he'd have the last Pearl, wouldn't it?" It took me a moment to realise that she'd directed the question to me. I blinked down at the map, and then nodded,

"Yeah, I guess that would make sense." The Great Spirit she'd mentioned niggled at my memory; I had the feeling that I'd probably heard the name before, though I couldn't remember where or when. _:Maybe in some old fairytales from when I was little:_ It didn't seem to matter all that much. All that really mattered was that we know had some course of action to follow.

Shadow rose from her seat, dusting herself off as she did so: on my left, Marie copied her actions, though the pirate's attempts to dislodge all the sand clinging to her weren't at all successful. Grumbling, she gave up, and then looked down at me expectantly. "What?" I asked, grabbing the map before a strong gust of ocean-breeze tried to snatch it away.

"There's nothing else to do here," Shadow answered simply, shrugging slightly and moving to untie the rope I'd just fastened. "And you said that the King of Red Lions seemed keen to get going." I hoisted myself up, clutching the sea-chart tightly in my hand.

"Yeah, he did."

"In that case, I'll come along with you," Marie announced, "seeing as it's my boat and all." I saw her and Shadow exchange a look, before the pirate looked away, cheeks slightly pink.

"Aye, that seems fair," Shadow agreed, handing the untied rope to her, and then walking to get the other one. I looked between the two of them, and tried to figure out what the look had been about. No ideas came to me, _:I'm tired after all:_ so I just waded out into the gentle surf. Marie had already clambered aboard, and she reached down to give me a hand up: I accepted it gratefully.

As soon as I was on board, she waved Shadow forwards, indicating that we were ready to go. Taking the initiative, I decided to start making Flo ready to sail again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Marie was reaching down to pull Shadow into the boat, along with the second mooring rope.

The sail was already half-tacked up to the mast, and all it took was a strong tug on the sail rope, and it filled immediately with the wind. The material cracked and bulged, and we began to move.

When the boat began to scud across the waves in completely the wrong direction, I realised that I had neglected to change the direction of the wind. Frowning, I quickly untied the sail rope, allowing it to run back through the pulley system, so that the sail fell to the deck with a thud. Marie cursed loudly, and I heard a loud splash from the side of the boat. Turning around, I saw Shadow standing waist-deep in the water, fingers white where they clenched the side of the boat. Guilt welled up inside of me as Marie got to her feet, having been thrown to the floor when Flo had started to move. The pirate rubbed her backside with a grunt, and glared at me.

"Sorry," I murmured, quickly gathering up the folds of sail cloth, and carefully folding them at the bottom of the mast. She just shook her head, and her face erupted in a grin.

"Don't worry about it lad," she returned, walking over to haul the soaked Sheikah over the railing. "Up you come." She was soaked through, and a puddle of water quickly collected around where she sat. I chewed my lip, wondering how angry she must be…

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking!" I blurted out, letting the sailcloth slide out of my hands in my agitation. "I just forgot about the-" I stopped mid-sentence, to find both of my companions laughing. I flushed and looked down at the planks underfoot, feeling a complete fool.

Finally, when they'd managed to calm themselves, Shadow looked up at me with eyes crinkled at the corners. "That you weren't thinking is obvious," she said, though jestingly. "But there's no harm done – just change the wind direction, and we can be on our way." She looked down again, and proceeded to unlace her boots.

"Yeah – OK – sorry," I immediately copied her actions and sat down, only unlacing my bag rather than my shoes. It didn't take much rummaging to find the telltale outline of the Wind Waker, and it only took a few seconds more to untangle it from all the other things stashed in my bag. As soon as I had it free, I looked expectantly at Shadow to tell me which direction the wind needed to go in. She was obviously distracted however, as, as that very moment, she was emptying water out of her boots over the side. Marie instead stepped in, and instructed me with a simple,

"North west lad."

"Right," I nodded, bringing the silvery baton up. The wind died away almost immediately, and I couldn't help but to smile as I exerted such power. For a few seconds, the whole world was still and silent: the other two had paused their conversation, and I could feel the prickle of their gazes. Suddenly feeling a little foolish just standing there with my arms in the air, I quickly went through the motions, wanting to have it over with as soon as possible. _:Anticlockwise circle, two downbeats, an upbeat, clockwise circle.: _With that done, I called out "North west!" and the moment of stillness ended.

"Now to get this sail back up," Marie bustled past me, and started to slowly feed the rope through the pulley. I reached out to help, but one look from the pirate's remaining eye made me think again. "No, that's all right lad," she smiled, using her head to signal over to Shadow, "go and sit down. You'll need to save your strength."

"Huh?"

"Well, you did promise to tell me all about it when we next met," her smile widened, and I returned it with one of my own.

"Of course!"

"Well, go on then – just make sure you don't go and do something foolish, like losing your voice," she chuckled, and I hurried off to Shadow, who was just now removing her socks, and laying them out next to her boots. Her feet were covered in skin just as pale as that on her face and hands, which wasn't surprising. But the sight of her wriggling toes did draw attention to the fact that my own feet were just as wet as hers. So, I plonked down next to her (carefully avoiding the pool of sea-water), and began to remove my own footwear.

"I really am sorry about that," I said, putting my boots down next to hers. I had wanted to remove my tights as well – the water was starting to seep upwards through the material – but decided that it was probably more trouble than it was worth. Instead, I just stretched out my legs, and inspected the damage that had been done to them in the course of our latest adventure.

She just waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, "I needed a bath anyway," she muttered, giving me a sidelong look.

"Well, in that case, maybe I should have jumped in to rescue you…I definitely need a bath," I joked, and was glad when she chuckled appreciatively.

"I thought I was supposed to be the one who did the rescuing," she said, nudging me gently in the ribs. I shifted uncomfortably at this, which she immediately noticed, "Oh, no, I didn't…" She sighed loudly, and drew her feet up underneath her, so that she turned to face me. "Rufus, I know that you dislike the idea that Red sent me to look after you," I tried to protest, but she cut across me, "_But_ he only did it because he didn't know just how able you are to look after yourself… And me," she added, patting me gently on the shoulder, "which I thank you for. Had you not given me that potion, then…well… I certainly wouldn't be able to go around throwing myself into the sea like I did earlier!" She patted my shoulder one last time, and then dropped her hand to her lap.

I blinked, and licked my lips, not quite knowing what to say in return. She'd just thanked me for probably saving her life, and told me that she thought I was perfectly capable of looking after myself. Casting a glance at her, I saw that the respect in her voice was reflected in her eyes, and I nodded minutely. "You're welcome. And thank you for agreeing to help in the first place… I…well…it's nice that I don't have to do this alone."

"Glad to be of service," she said, mock-saluting. I just grinned and shook my head. We both leant against the side, watching Marie masterfully managing the boat in companionable silence. For the first time in a while, and despite the current situation, I felt relaxed. And I realised that a major factor in making me feel that way was my Sheikah travelling companion.

* * *

Though I was initially a little annoyed at having been compelled to take a quick dunk in the sea, Rufus' obvious heartfelt apologies quickly made the annoyance melt away. The guilt was obvious on his face, and I felt glad when he came over to sit down next to me – it would give me a chance to reassure the boy that I wasn't going to hold a grudge. "I really am sorry about that," he said, pulling off his own boots, which were as waterlogged as mine. He momentarily took hold of the excess material over the toes of his left foot, but then seemed to think better of it, and stuck his legs out to dry in the fast-sinking sun.

I just brushed off the apology with a casual, "I needed a bath anyway," which immediately called to mind many hours spent on the beach at home with Firen and Delia. I smiled at the memories of my childhood _:which seems a very long time ago now…:_ and saw that Rufus' face had lightened considerably.

"Well, in that case, maybe I should have jumped in to rescue you – I definitely need a bath!" he joked back, making a show of sniffing his boots. I laughed at this, yet again sorely reminded of Firen: on personality alone, the two of them could have been brothers. I just nudged him teasingly in the ribs,

"I thought I was supposed to be the one who did the rescuing!" Immediately, his face fell, and I realised that taunting Rufus in the same way I taunted Firen probably wasn't the right thing to do. "Oh, no…I didn't…" Sighing, I turned around so that I was fully facing the Hylian, and set about trying to repair the damage. "Rufus, I know you dislike the idea that Red sent me to look after you," he tried to object, but I ignored him, "_but_ he only did it because he didn't know just how able you are to look after yourself." Tentatively, I reached out to pat him on the shoulder, and then added, "And me, which I thank you for." I could see the tension leaving his features, replaced by a slightly confused look. "Had you not given me that potion, then – well – I certainly wouldn't be able to go around throwing myself into the sea like I did earlier!"

He looked slightly stunned, and I silently hoped that I'd managed to get my message across. He looked me full in the eyes, and I met his gaze, trying to convey without words just how serious I was. "You're welcome," he said finally, with a small nod. "And thank you for agreeing to help in the first place… I – well – it's nice that I don't have to do this alone." Sensing that I had indeed managed to say what he needed to hear, I just mock-saluted him, again echoing the playful teasing between myself and Firen,

"Glad to be of service." He grinned and shook his head at my actions, before settling himself against the rail and watching Marie's skilled management of the boat. A line had just been crossed between merely being travelling companions, and being friends, and I felt content for the first time in a while. _:Perhaps acting a little more like a Hylian isn't such a bad thing after all: _I mused, flexing my bare fingers. In fact, I was really just acting like I normally would as it was… And it seemed to be working a lot better than acting like a 'Sheikah warrior' had been.

I clenched my fist, and tore my eyes away from my fingers to look at the pirate, who had successfully got us on our way. _:Maybe I'm right to leave the bandages off after all: _I thought. Briefly, I wondered what my teachers would think of that…surprisingly, I found that I didn't care as much as I thought I would. _:I've protected the lad, and we've been successful so far. Surely that's enough…: _I took a furtive look at the ocean rushing past all around us, somehow feeling as though what I'd just thought would draw Sheikah to us like a magnet. _:Well, we've re-evaluated our ways before, so…why shouldn't I do a little re-thinking of my own:_ I reasoned to myself.

_/Surely, if you're going to re-evaluate your ways, perhaps you should think about your allegiances as well pet./ _I only just managed to prevent myself from jumping at the sudden return of the Gerudo in my mind. _/Sorry, didn't mean to startle you./ _There was something in his tone that immediately put me on edge. I was vaguely aware of Rufus getting up to talk to Marie, and must have voiced a farewell, because the boy waved at me with a smile. The Hylian and the pirate settled down at the prow of the boat, and I made a show of yawning as I stood up, saying something about going down below to bed (to which Dragmire made a very vulgar suggestion indeed).

I collapsed against the cool, solid wood of the door as soon as I'd closed it, and closed my eyes, letting a frustrated, "drat!" out into the still air of the cabin.

_/Really pet, is that any way to greet a friend/_ the Gerudo feigned offence.

_:You're no friend of mine: _I answered coolly, sliding down the door so that I sat on the top-most step down into the cabin below. I could just about hear the murmur of voices through the door, and felt comforted to know that my allies were so near.

_/Lovely allies you have, that go around throwing you into the sea./ _I flushed slightly at this, knowing that he'd seen me looking like a complete fool. Of course, immediately afterwards, I admonished myself, because I shouldn't really care what the Gerudo thought of me anyway. _/Ah, but you already know full well what I think of you/_ he murmured seductively. I blushed once more, and pulled down my facemask to let the cool air of the cabin rush against my burning skin. _/Though my estimation of your intelligence is fast reducing./_

_:What exactly are you on about: _I questioned wearily, resigning myself to the fact that he would probably be bothering me for a while.

_/You didn't say the magic word/_ he said, and I could tell that my indifference seemed to affront him.

_:I didn't realise that I required one – would any spell do, or is there something specifi-: _I winced as an invisible force seemed to backhand my left cheek – hard.

_/Don't be impudent./_

_:Don't think I won't retaliate: _I countered, screwing up what little magic I'd regained from the potion Rufus had given me to return the blow. He winced, and I braced myself for another attack. It didn't come… Instead, he chuckled, and made a mental bow.

_/I do apologise – I keep forgetting what I'm up against, pet. Though/ _he sighed,_ /I am disappointed that you haven't yet figured it out./_ I frowned, and rubbed my aching jaw with one hand, using the other to steady myself as I plodded down the stairs. If this continued, it would probably be best if I at least appeared asleep when the other two came down below. I sank down on the edge of the bed, and cradled my head in my hands. Dragmire silently waited.

I pulled my legs up onto the bed, and lay down, head resting on the soft pillow. The ceiling above me was full of knots, and I began to count them. Still Dragmire waited, though I could sense that he was beginning to get agitated. I started saying the numbers to him as I went. _:Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four – no, wait, that's a stain – twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-:_

_/You are a most infuriating creature/_ the Gerudo finally conceded, sounding irritated.

_:I could say the same of you. Either tell me what you're babbling on about, or leave me be.:_

_/Now, you know I would never do the latter…and as for the first, perhaps you should ask me a little more nicely./ _I just snorted, and rolled over so that I faced the wall. I started counting knots again. _/Surely my monster didn't injure you so badly that your brain has been addled/_ I rolled over and sat bolt upright, cracking my head on the low ceiling. _/And I think she has it/_ he observed dryly as I clutched my throbbing forehead.

_:You – you're mad! You told the Shade to take the-:_

_/I did nothing of the sort! _You_ just so happened to release the mad-man./ _I blinked at this, frowning. _/The Shade long ago ceased to be one of mine: which is why I sealed the damned creature all those years ago./_

_:So that was why you fled before: _I asked, though I already knew the answer. He didn't bother to answer. _:Why are you telling me this:_

_/Perhaps because I would rather have you in one piece/_ he said simply, before vacating my mind.

I flopped back onto the bed, rubbing my forehead, and looked up at the ceiling without even seeing it at all. Again I saw in my mind just how easily the Shade had spilled the blood of the four Hylian guards in the forest. I heard the icy hatred in his hissing voice, and shivered, wondering where the creature had gone. With a boat, he could easily make his way to the more populous islands… I dreaded to think what would happen then.

_:Oh Gods, what have we done:_

* * *

When Shadow went down below, Marie and I sat down together in the prow, taking full advantage of the last rays of the setting sun.The pirate immediately reminded me of my promise to tell her all about our trip, and I was happy to sit there and talk away. It was somehow calming to go over it all again, though, when I came to the actual fight against the Lord, I couldn't quite bring myself to describe it in as much detail as I had everything else. Marie, seeing that it upset me, instead offered to tell me what she'd been up to.

"Did you manage to do all the errands you needed to?" I queried, shuffling slightly to try and get comfortable. The seawater had almost dried, and I could feel my clothes starting to go stiff with salt again. As soon as I got the opportunity, I needed to find a stream or pond to wash them in. _:Or I suppose I could always try and get some new clothes…I'm not sure how much longer these will last.: _There were already quite a large amount of rips in my tights already, and my tunic was filthy.

"Most of them…though I did run into a little bit of trouble, which is why I was late coming back…" She balled her fists, "And to think, if I'd been back a few hours earlier…a few minutes even…they could have hidden behind the rocks between the islands for all I know…" I reached out and grabbed her raised hands,

"Don't think about it like that… And anyway, the person had magic – strong magic – you could have been hurt!" She relaxed slightly, and held my hands in hers.

"It's nice of you to worry lad, but I would have been all right – I have a fair few tricks up my sleeve for every situation." She grinned impishly, and I laughed. "I just wish I could have caught the blighter at it," a murderous look flitted across her face, but was soon replaced by a smile again. "No matter…besides, I did manage to give a good few blighters a piece of my mind as I was doing Red's errands!"

"I feel sorry for them," I laughed, and she reached out to ruffle my hair.

"So do I. But at least they know not to meddle in my affairs again!" And with that, she launched into her account of her adventures whilst away from us.

"Well, most of the things I needed were easy enough to get – food, rope, potions, sail material, some more clothes for you – general supplies you know."

"Clothes for me?" I echoed.

"Aye lad – he felt that you might be needing some, and seeing the state of you, I'd agree. I'm not sure whether I've got the right size…they may be a little big for you, but that just leaves growing room."

"Thanks!"

"No need – and you should thank me after seeing them…I couldn't find anything like what you're wearing, so I hope you're all right with that." Inwardly, I rejoiced that I probably wouldn't be wearing tights very much longer, but felt a bit guilty when I remembered how proud Grandma had been of my birthday outfit… However, outwardly, I just nodded, and provided a serious,

"That's quite all right. As long as they're clean and dry, I think I'll love them." At this, she smiled again, showing relief. "Sorry for interrupting; carry on, I want to hear all about it!"

"All right, all right! Well, we'll skim over the boring bits shall we? I got the supplies, loaded them onto Flo, and then looked at the list again…and there were a few things that I'd definitely not get in the street-markets."

"What sort of things?" I asked breathlessly, leaning forward as if to share a secret.

"Weapons mostly," she answered casually, and I leant back self-consciously. "Bombs, knives, bows and arrows, cross bows, swords, shields – anything I could get my hands on really. I think Red wanted to make sure you have a good range of things to choose from."

"What did you manage to get in the end?"

"Ah, ah!" she waved a finger admonishingly. "I can't tell you that yet, it would ruin the story!" I crossed my arms and hmphed, pretending to be annoyed. She just laughed one of her infectious laughs. "I like you boy – makes me wonder how you would have done if you were a pirate."

"Do you reckon I would have made a good one?" I asked eagerly, suddenly imagining myself as the captain of some ship, just like Tetra. _:After all, if she can do it, then I reckon I'd be able to as well.:_

"I'm not sure…I think you might be just a tad too honest to get away with it. Though you'd certainly be able to fight any buccaneer or brigand with ease." She suddenly laughed: I raised my eyebrow at her. "Oh, sorry – I've just remembered some of the clothes I picked up. You might very well get to at least play at being a pirate." My eyes widened at this, and suddenly my dreams of being a pirate felt a little bit silly. For some reason, I didn't think that the puffy trousers and stripy shirts would look that much better than what I was wearing at the moment…

"But let's not worry about that for now: you need to stop distracting me, or I'll never finish the story!"

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Now, where was I? Ah, I remember! So, there I was, trying to figure out where I could go to find weapons, when the answer was all but thrust in my face. Another ship was pulling into port overnight, and I immediately recognized it as the ship of one Miss Tetra-"

"Tetra?" I started, knocking my head against the side in my shock.

"You know her?" Marie seemed surprised at my reaction.

"Yeah…she was the one who took me to the Forsaken Fortress." At this, Marie gasped, and then whistled long and low.

"I knew she was a mad one, but I never thought the rumours could be true… But you say she gave you passage?" I nodded. "Good Gods, she's as mad as her mother ever was…" the pirate breathed, seemingly lost in her thoughts. I coughed quietly to get her attention. She looked up at me, and then shook her head, "Well, you're certainly the well-travelled young man, aren't you lad?"

"You could say that," I nodded with a small grin, looking out over the water, which reflected the sunset, so that it looked like there were two skies, one resting on top of another. "How do you know her then?"

"Oh, her mother and I were good friends years back," Marie shrugged, though her tone was guarded. It was obvious that this was a closed topic, and I decided not to press it any further.

"So, what happened?"

"Hmm?"

"With the ship I mean?"

"Oh, the ship. Yes…" A small grin crept onto her face. "Well, Tetra is notorious for always keeping her armoury well-stocked…" I gasped,

"You didn't!"

"I'm afraid I did lad – and I very nearly got the hiding of my life when the little Miss saw me disembarking with a sack-load of goods. Of course, she didn't realise it was weapons I was carrying – she thought I was after her bullion. So there's me, caught on the gangplank, with no way down, and the newly awakened guard standing on the ship behind me."

"What did you do?"

"I pulled out a bomb and threatened to light it of course!" she laughed. "Tetra loves that ship almost as much as life itself – she wouldn't want a hole blown in the side, so she stepped out of the way immediately."

"But what about when you were off the gangplank?"

"Ah yes, well, that was when it got a little bit tricky you see…" She looked down at her feet, and then muttered guiltily, "I didn't actually mean to set off a real bomb – I'd picked up one or two bombs that just make a lot of smoke, and…well…I thought I had one of those…so I lit it, and then rolled it along the floor towards the rest of her crew, but…it turned out to be a real one after all." She looked up and added, "It's all right, I know for a fact none of them were hurt too badly – they hopped onto the ship as soon as I cast off, set to start chasing me… But…well… I just felt a little bad about it – plus I dread to think what's going to happen next time we cross one another," she added, a little more lightly.

"Well, what would they have done if they'd caught you?"

"Oh, they'd have taken the stuff back, given me a hiding, and then sent me on my way." At my stunned look, she said, "That's getting off lightly lad. I'm a friend of the girl's mother, so she's not going to hurt me too badly…and pirates will rarely kill one another, despite all the stories." I nodded to show that I'd taken this bit of information in. Marie shifted, and looked up at the sky, which was now quickly turning from dusky lavender to a velvety blue.

I yawned, looking up at the few stars that had already appeared. Marie got to her feet, and then reached down a hand to help me up. "Come on lad, I think it's time you got some sleep." We went over to the door into the cabin, but she reached out and caught my shoulder on the thresh-hold. "Quietly now, just in case Shadow's already asleep." I nodded, opened the door, and tiptoed down the steps into the cabin. Immediately, I caught sight of Shadow already lying on the bed, facing the wall. She had blankets pulled over her, and seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Marie appeared behind me a few moments later, two pairs of boots and some socks in her hand. "Thanks," I whispered, taking them and laying them at the bottom of a very large pile of supplies in the back of the cabin. Then, I looked around, and wondered how we were going to fit. I needn't have worried however, because Marie was fiddling with something underneath the steps, and, suddenly, they flipped upwards to reveal a great deal more floor-space. "That's handy," I commented, nodding towards the stairs, and she grinned.

"Designed it myself," she announced proudly, already pulling out some blankets from one of the many cupboards in the cabin. "Here you are – you go down there between the bed and the range – nice and warm – and I'll lie across this way. That way I can get out easily to check if I need to." I nodded,

"Sounds like a good idea!" I took the bedding she handed me, and started on making myself a comfortable place to sleep for the night. The sea was thankfully rather calm, and by folding one of the blankets in half, I made a sort of mattress, so that I wasn't sleeping directly on the hard floor. "How long will it take us to get there?" I asked.

"Not too long – should be there by midday at the latest," Marie answered, already snuggling down underneath her own blanket. "Now, go to sleep: you need it!" she mock-commanded.

"All right, all right! Good night then."

"Good night lad," she returned. I folded my arms behind my head as a pillow, and looked up at the dark ceiling. It wasn't soon until I drifted off altogether…

* * *

It was some time later that Rufus and Marie came down below. I still hadn't managed to get to sleep, even though I was exhausted. I just couldn't put the deadly Shade out of my mind: I would even have welcomed Dragmire's annoyances to take my mind away from it, but he remained absent.

When the two Hylians came into the cabin, I decided that the bad news could at least wait until tomorrow – there was no point spoiling their sleep as well as my own. So, I rolled over to face the wall, and quickly pulled up both my facemask and the blankets. I heard the two of them trying to tiptoe around, whispering to one another as they got ready to sleep. Absently, I thought that there was really no point, considering just how acute Sheikah hearing is, but even so, I felt grateful that they'd go to so much trouble for me.

I saw Rufus' shadow waver on the wall as he knelt down only a few inches away from me to prepare his bed. If I turned around now, we would be on the same eye-level. _:Don't, he needs sleep: _I admonished myself, and clutched the blanket more tightly.

Soon enough, the two of them fell silent, and not soon after, their level breathing told me that they were sound asleep. I closed my eyes, and tried to copy their breathing, but to no avail: after a few moments of blackness, the image of the Shade appeared on the inside of my eyelids, and I had to open them again. Everything was still black, but at least the Shade was no longer haunting my vision.

…

Somehow, I must have managed to fall asleep, because I knew that what I was seeing was definitely a vision.

_Red was tied up on a beach, the moon high in the sky above him. Tall rocks overshadowed the sand, so that Red was half in, and half out of shadow. Slowly, one of the rocks began to move, and I realised that it was the Shade himself. The creature ambled lazily across the sand, head thrown back to look at the stars. His eyes blazed like red coals, but with none of the warmth. As if sensing that he was being watched, he dropped his head and spun around, trying to spy his enemy. _

_Finding nothing, his shoulders relaxed slightly, but he didn't drop the large sword that seemed to be his only weapon. After another scan of the area, he shrugged, and then set off purposefully up the beach, clambering over the rocks at the top until he came to a great lake in the centre of the island. It stretched further than I could see in the dim light, though the water looked vibrant blue at the lake's edge, even without the sun. _

_The Shade walked – no, _prowled_ – to the water's edge, moving with intent now. However, he didn't stop at the shore: he continued until he was up to his chest in the bright water. He called out something that sounded like Old Hylian, though it was a word that I didn't know. _

_The water around him bulged upwards, like a gigantic wave – he didn't so much as flinch. And as soon as the spray cleared, I realised that he had made a summons. "No!" I yelled, and was surprised when my voice echoed around the shallow valley. The Shade faltered and lost his footing, dropping with a curse and a splash into the water. The gigantic fish was startled, and sank back beneath the waves. The water changed from blue to black, and I sighed in relief. _

_The Shade dragged himself back to the surface, sword still in hand, and turned around. He looked directly at me. I looked down, and found that I could almost see through myself to the ground underneath my feet. A slight glow surrounded me, and I wondered whether I had somehow managed to take some part of myself into the reality of this vision. _

_At that thought, I snapped my head back up, and panicked when I could no longer see the shadowy monster. I took a few steps backwards, away from the lake, before turning around, ready to run down to the beach and rescue Red. _

_I didn't even have the chance to take my first step before an arm grabbed me around the neck, and cold metal was pressed against my throat. "Well met, Sheikah devil. Now I shall return your favour." I felt his arm squeeze tighter, and tried to reach down for some last tendril of magic that could help me. I found nothing. _

_The blade hissed as it cut through the material of my facemask, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. _

Only to wake up in a cold sweat, the blankets twisted around my legs. I reached up to my neck to feel for damage, and my facemask fell off as I rolled over. _:Oh Gods.: _I felt sick, and in less than ten seconds, I had picked my way over my sleeping comrades, grabbed hold of my pack, and rushed outside to be sick over the railing. When there was no more to come up, I leant against the side of the cabin, hyperventilating. The cold night air rushing against my face managed to wake me up, and in seconds, I'd formed a haphazard sort of plan.

I concentrated on getting my breathing back under control as I rummaged through my pack for the green gemstone that the King of Red Lions had given me at the beginning of the journey. As soon as I found it, I pulled it out, and shoved the rest of my bag back through the small gap left in the cabin door, and then shut the door so that I wouldn't wake the other two. Hoping that Red would be able to hear me, I began trying to hail him once more.

"Red? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, please answer me – I know who's taken you, and we're going to try and rescue you. Please, please answer. Red? Please, if you can hear me, give me some sort of answer." The stone suddenly flared to life in my hand, but it wasn't the voice I wanted to hear.

"Not only a devil, but a witch also. Tell me, of what importance is this boat to you?" the Shade's voice was low, calculating…dangerous.

"He's a friend," I answered guardedly.

"Then you choose your friends poorly, Sheikah. What are you bargaining for his safe return?" My heart fluttered – perhaps we would be able to use some of the cargo to barter with.

"Name your price," I said, just managing to keep my voice steady.

"I very much doubt you have anything of value on that ridiculous pirate's schooner."

"Then what would guarantee his safety?" I asked, feeling as though my stomach was full of lead.

"Your magic would suffice, Sheikah witch." I blinked, and stared at the stone, before realising that he would be unable to see my disbelief.

"My…magic…?"

"It would be of great use to me. My own is exhausted, and no potion will replenish it… But yours is strong, Sheikah, and that is my price."

"If I refuse?"

"Then I burn the ship, and then I kill you, the boy, and the pirate man."

I gulped. "If my magic doesn't suffice?"

"I will kill you, and the ship will burn. But I will let your companions live." I gulped again, and tightened my grip on the gem.

"Do I have your word on that?"

"Do we have a deal?" I closed my eyes.

"Yes."

"Then I will keep my word."

With that, the gem dulled. I let it fall out of my hand, and opened my eyes to stare over the prow to the black water beyond.

"I'm coming with you." I jumped, and turned to find Rufus sitting on the other side of the door, wrapped in a blanket. "I don't trust him." I stared at him, and wondered just how long he'd been there: I'd been so engrossed in the conversation with the Shade that I hadn't even heard him come up.

"You can't," I shook my head defiantly, "he'll kill you as soon as he sees you."

"How do you know he won't do the same to you?" the Hylian hissed back, eyes narrowed. I tried to think of a sensible retort to this, but I was so tired that nothing leapt to mind. In the end, I just shrugged and admitted defeat.

"I don't."

"Exactly," he nodded at me. "We've faced him once before…and we can do it again." I knew from the tone of his voice that he didn't even believe it himself, but I smiled all the same.

"Thank you Rufus," I nodded, carefully picking up the stone and putting it into my pocket. It clinked against something else, and I immediately remembered the Tri-Force shard still nestling in the pocket, after all this time. I pulled out the small golden triangle, and Rufus' eyes widened.

"I'd almost forgotten about that," he whispered, shuffling closer to look at it properly. "We should give it back to Marie when she wakes up in the morning." The very idea seemed appalling, but I nodded,

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," realising that it wasn't mine to keep as it was.

"For now, we need to try and make a plan." I resigned myself to the fact that there was no way I'd be able to talk the Hylian out of it.

"You can't come ashore with me – _don't_ argue," he closed his mouth and frowned. "Red may not be with us, but he'd still want me to make sure that you're as far away from danger as possible. Besides, if I…if I don't come back," he flinched at the words, "then there needs to be at least one of us left behind, who will carry on with the quest."

"I… You're right," he murmured, shoulders slumping. "What was it you had in mind?"

* * *

Tears up her story plan and throws it out of the window._ Well, looks like I'm just going to have to give up on trying to stick to my plans altogether. Nasty, evil, horrible Shade with his nasty…urm…nastiness._ Shivers._ Even I don't like him, and I write the man!_

_Thanks to everyone who still follows this story: I know how annoying it gets when you're waiting for an update for so long… (especial apologies to Al, I only actually read your reviews a few days ago, because I've been out of the country for a bit!) But all of you who write too will understand that sometimes, the words just refuse to come. Plus, I've had a rather busy time of it the past few months, what with exams, moving house, getting ready for university, going to China, and then going to Scotland, I haven't really had the time. But, look, I updated!_


	25. Together: A Cunning Plan

**The hero, the broken, the saviour**

_Rufus and Shadow now know who stole Red – but when even Dragmire is afraid of their new adversary, what hope do our adventurers have? What is Shadow's plan and will they be successful? And why is the Shade so eager to get a hold on her magic?_

* * *

_**Together: A cunning plan**_

_The Shade smiled as he looked down at the green gem clasped in his palm. The expression held no warmth however, and his captive shivered at the sight. "So, great King, we meet again," the creature said, pocketing the stone and then idly swinging his sword. The King of Red Lions didn't dare to respond, and watched the shadowy man with wide-eyes. "Though I think this time the tables are very much in my favour." Suddenly, the monster lunged: Red closed his eyes, waiting for the fatal blow that would have severed his head from the prow, and ended his existence once and for all._

"_Ah, no, that would be far too quick for you, Majesty. No…I would much rather watch you suffer." The Shade sheathed his weapon, and then leant on a nearby boulder, scanning the horizon, which was just beginning to lighten. "In a few hours, your little witch will be here, along with your new hero – a child, Majesty?" He shook his head and smirked. "When I have magic, it will be easy enough to kill those two – the pirate as well. And then you will come with me to hunt the Gerudo…"_

_His blazing eyes momentarily dulled, as he looked down at the sand underfoot. The King of Red Lions thought he saw something suspiciously like a tear splatter on the ground, but when the Shade looked up once more, his face was twisted in anger. "And when he lies dead in his own blood… That is when I will kill you…" The creature spat bitterly, and the globule clung to one of Red's horns. With that, the monster melted into the shadows and was gone. _

* * *

"What in the-?" the world suddenly seemed to tumble sideways, and I felt a strong pair of arms catch me before I could fall very far. Waking up, I could see that it was still night, though a glow in the east told me that dawn was near. The arms lifted me up, and then propped me against the once-again closed cabin door. Shadow was crouched, ready to spring on the other side of the door, but she relaxed as soon as she realised that it was only Marie. "What by the Gods are you two doing sleeping out here in the cold?" Now that she mentioned it, I did feel rather cold – my breath was steaming in the air before me. 

Shadow got to her feet, and I could hear her teeth chattering from where I sat. "We were planning our next move," she answered, hugging her arms around herself to try and get warm.

"Come on you two, get inside," the pirate ushered both of us inside, where the blazing range hit us with a wall of heat as soon as we stepped inside the door. Pins and needles erupted painfully all over my body, and I sank onto one end of the bed before my legs gave way. Shadow sat down next to me, her hand brushing against mine – it was ice cold. _:If only I'd thought to offer to share the blanket!: _I cursed to myself. "Now what on earth was so important that you couldn't wait until morning?" Marie demanded, clattering around in the cupboard, withdrawing a couple of pans, and a bag that proved to be stuffed with food when she opened it.

I looked at Shadow, who was briskly rubbing her hands together. She returned the glance, and then nodded, before answering for the both of us, "We know who took Red." The pans dropped to the floor with a clatter.

"Who?" the pirate breathed, whirling around, her one eye wide.

"The Shade," I told her simply, deciding that it was probably best to get the shock out of the way as soon as possible. Marie blanched, and one hand went absently to her throat as she slid down the opposite wall, and came to a stop on the floor at our feet.

"No."

"Yes," Shadow said. "But we have a plan." Marie looked horrified at the idea.

"You're not seriously thinking of trying to fight him are you?"

"Not exactly… Rufus managed to come up with a much better idea," she nudged me slightly, and I managed a half-hearted smile. As far as I was concerned, the pirate was probably right – we were mad. _:But there's nothing else we can do!:_ "But we're going to need your help," the Sheikah continued. Marie stared at her blankly for a moment, before nodding slowly.

"Of course… Of course, anything I can do, I will." Despite the quiver in her voice, the determination was evident on her face. "In fact…" she was suddenly back on her feet, and she squeezed past us to the pile of goods at the other end of the cabin. "Oh, where is it?" she grumbled, pulling aside layers of sailcloth and bundles of what looked like arrows, until she finally came across whatever it was she was looking for.

It was only as she carried the greatcoat back over that I realised what it was she was about to suggest. "Shadow," I hissed, holding my hands on my lap, with my thumbs and forefingers making the shape of a triangle. She started, and immediately dug into her pocket: she thrust the triangle into my hand, and I suddenly wondered if perhaps I should have asked her to give it back to Marie. _:I just hope she isn't too angry… After all, I didn't _really_ mean to take it – it was an accident!:_ It sounded silly even in my head, and sweat began to break out on my forehead.

"This is something that belonged to a very old friend of mine… Apparently, in the right hands, it can be very powerful: you might be able to use it to your advantage," she looked pointedly at Shadow, who had managed to school her face into a puzzled look. "I'm sure it was in one of these pockets – hang on, I'll just check this one." She turned the coat upside down, and I took my chance. As subtly as I could, I pushed the small golden triangle off of the end of the bed. It landed with a thud on the floor, and Marie scooped it up with a triumphant grin. "Aha, there we are!" Shadow patted me lightly on the shoulder, and I grinned guiltily behind my hand, pretending to cough.

"What's that?" I asked, hoping that I sounded as interested as I should be. Marie just held it out with a look that I imagined was the one she wore when she saw treasure.

"This, lad, is a piece of the Tri-Force of Wisdom." Next to me, Shadow leant forward, the picture of polite awe. I did so as well, wondering whether the shimmering woman I'd seen when I last looked into the triangle would appear again. However, when Shadow's fingers began to subconsciously reach to touch the Tri-Force shard, Marie quickly closed her fist around it. "Careful now… I think you'd be best getting your strength back before trying anything with this." The Sheikah's hand fell limply to her side, and she nodded her understanding.

"But what exactly are we going to 'try' with it?" I asked. "What do you think it will do?"

"Well, if I'm to be perfectly honest… I haven't the foggiest," she smiled hopelessly, and deposited the shining triangle on the shelf above the stove. "I've never had any skill for magic…but I reckon Shadow should take it along, just in case it proves useful. I know the person who had it before me put it to good use…" she trailed off with a distant look in her eyes, before shaking herself slightly and addressing us again. "First, I need to hear this plan of yours," the pirate prompted, walking past me and back to the pile of provisions. "And I think I have some things you two will both need in one of these bags." She carried on rummaging around a bit more: I waited patiently for her to find what it was she was looking for.

After a couple of minutes, she stood up, pink in the face, and swept her hair away from her forehead. "I think you'd best start telling me now – this could take a while."

"Oh…OK." I looked at Shadow, to find her taking a quick glance at the Tri-Force shard. Her eyes were narrowed, and the muscles in her arms tensed. "Shadow?" I tapped her on the shoulder and she immediately relaxed, and turned to smile at me.

"I'm all right," she assured me softly, before inclining her head to Marie. "Go on, it's your idea after all." She reached down and patted the hand I'd used to tap her shoulder, adding in an undertone, "And a very fine idea at that." I could feel the blush rising on my cheeks, and made a rather undignified squeaking sound when I tried to thank her for her compliment. _:She actually thinks it's a good idea!:_ The fact that I'd managed to impress her made my fear ebb away for a moment, though it returned full-force when I began to lay out the plan for Marie.

* * *

As soon as the shining golden triangle left my possession, I wanted it back. I felt suddenly bereft, knowing that it was no longer mine, other than to borrow. My eyes were drawn to it, and I struggled against the temptation to just reach out and grab it. Echoes of Dragmire's promises of wisdom did nothing to help: when he returned into my mind, I scowled, wishing he would just leave me be. 

_/That's not very friendly now, is it pet?/_

_:I don't see that I have any particular reason to be friendly.:_

_/Well, that could easily be remedied,/ _he purred, _/and to think, all I wanted to say was that I've discovered the whereabouts of the rest of that delightful artefact you have there./_

_:What-: _I blinked, unable to take the information in. _:But, it's been lost for-:_

_/It's found now,/ _he informed me nonchalantly,/_courtesy of another pirate, would you believe? And what a gift it would make for a handsome creature such as yourself…/_ And with that, he once again left, so that the clatters of Marie's search through the pile of supplies was the only sound left. After a while of this, I was starting to get agitated - knowing that Dragmire had found a way to potentially grant himself more power was doing little to soothe my nerves - and was relieved when Marie urged Rufus to get on with detailing the plan.

I encouraged him with reassurances that took little effort: his plan really was rather impressive, considering its inherent simplicity. Though, it did all hinge around my own magical abilities, and I was slightly worried that I mightn't be up to the task. _:There's no point worrying about it. I'll just have to hope it works when the time comes.: _Though I still couldn't believe that he'd managed to convince me that I should take him ashore with me – I supposed it made sense: I'd be able to defend him better than Marie could, but… I still had my misgivings about that.

At least I knew that Rufus had been right in his assumptions when Marie emerged from her search with a couple of bottles clasped in her hands. These she set on the side, before turning back to us with a frown on her face.

"This all sounds rather good, apart from the bit where you use me as bait," she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the range, careful to avoid the slowly heating cooking rings. "What's to stop the monster from killing me as soon as he sees me?" Rufus and I exchanged looks, and I decided to answer truthfully.

"Nothing at all: we just have to hope that he'll keep his word. He seems to need my magic, so he'll follow rather than kill." _:At least, I hope so…:_

"And why, by the Gods, do I have to be wearing-" she gestured towards me with a look of plain distaste. "I mean, it's all right on someone like you, but me…I'm not exactly…" she trailed off and sighed heavily. "Is this the only plan we have?"

"Well, it's the only one we could come up with where all three of us might survive," Rufus said, rising to collect one of the bottles of green potion. "Here," he handed it to me.

"Thanks." I settled the glass container in my lap and watched the pirate's face as she slowly got herself used to the ideas Rufus had presented. Finally, the corner of her mouth turned up in a half-smile.

"Well, I suppose we'd best get started then, hadn't we? Breakfast?" And with that, she started to bustle around the cabin again, gathering together various foodstuffs in order to make a meal. Rufus got up to help her, and whilst the two of them were occupied, I quickly swivelled in order to face the wall, and downed the potion in one go. Immediately, I could feel it going to work, a warm, tingling sensation spreading outwards from my stomach to the very tips of my fingers and toes. The chill in my bones from sleeping outside subsided slightly, and I flexed my fingers as pins and needles assailed the bare digits.

"Feeling better?" Rufus asked, carefully keeping his eyes averted as he handed eggs to Marie, who was then gently dropping them into a pan of water warming on the stove.

"Much," I nodded, sliding off of the bed and then going to rummage through the supplies that Marie had returned with. I could vaguely remember hearing Marie and Rufus talking about Red's instructions, and wondered whether she'd bought back any weapons that I might be able to use… _:After all, it wouldn't hurt to pick up something a little stronger than my daggers for distance fighting…:_ I was fine when it came to close combat, but the daggers had proved less than wonderful so far on this adventure.

After a little deliberation, I decided to discard the rapier I'd initially thought to add to my arsenal, finding that it reminded me too much of Judas. Besides, swordplay had always been my weak spot - I tended to leave myself open to attack when under pressure, so it was probably safest to stick to the weapons that I knew well. Instead, I settled on a finely crafted crossbow, with a handle of smooth wood and a mechanism of what looked to be made of wire and horsehair. It came with a quiver of both wooden and metal bolts, which I slung easily over my shoulder. A little more digging through the pile of weaponry led to the discovery of a few empty holsters, which were easy to adapt to be strapped around my boots and hold daggers in place there. The last item I decided upon was a small, light shield, the strap of which I slung over my other shoulder, so that the strap of shield and quiver crossed over my heart (it wouldn't stop an arrow, but it might deflect a sword from immediately piercing my chest.)

Rufus poked around in the pile next to me, and he made a sound of appreciation at the shield I picked up. I kept an eye of him as I started to readjust the straps of my own new arsenal, and was surprised to see him pick up various things and test them, before placing them in one of two piles. The larger pile he pushed back into the main one when he was done searching, and the smaller one he set to looking through once more. Curious, I left my own collection, and went to sit down next to him on the floor. Marie was still clattering around making breakfast at the other end of the cabin; the smell of frying bacon made my stomach rumble.

"Hungry?" Rufus grinned as I settled myself comfortably. An answering growl sounded from his stomach.

"Aye, and you are as well it seems!" I smiled back, eyes darting to the dwindling pile of weaponry. "Found anything useful?" He frowned at this,

"I'm not sure, to be honest…if I knew what I was looking for…" He gestured to his small pile. "These are just things that I've used before, and that look about the right size." A flush began to rise up his neck onto his cheeks. "Do you have any suggestions?" Gingerly, he picked up a cross bow, which was much like the one I'd decided upon. "What about this?"

"Have you ever fired one of them before?" was the first question that came to my mind. There was a slight pause, in which he tilted his head at me and raised his eyebrow. "Oh, yes, you already…" I trailed off, and then started again, "Do you feel like you could use it in battle?"

"I'm not sure," he shrugged, looking down and fiddling with the mechanism.

"Well, in that case, I'd say you'd be better off with a normal bow and arrows," I decided. "After all, it takes a while to get used to loading those things quickly - may I?" I took the weapon away, and then used one of my own bolts to show him what I meant. "See here - you have to pull the mechanism back - put the bolt in - then secure it so you don't end up shooting your own foot, (trust me, it happens!) - point, and fire." I didn't actually fire, instead dissembling the weapon and placing it in the larger pile of discarded things.

"In that case, I think I'll take these," he gave a rueful smile, and plucked a sturdy bow and quiver full of craftily whittled arrows from his pile. The Hylian held them up, inviting my comments.

"Very good… What else were you thinking of?"

"Nothing much really: I thought maybe a knife or dagger if I get in a tight spot? I managed to find one that looked a bit like yours…hang on…ah, here it is!" he held up his find. I saw that he was right - it was almost identical to the ones I owned, right down to the fine seal at the centre of the blade. I made a sound of approval, and accepted the weapon so that I could examine it.

"Very good choice," I nodded, handing it back to him. "Anything else?" At this, the red started creeping up his neck again. But, rather than reaching for the pile of weaponry before him, he eased something from his belt.

"A slingshot?" I crooked a brow. He blushed properly at this. "Why?"

"Well…I thought…you know, sometimes I don't want to hurt something…just…stun it… And I'm pretty good with this after all the games with the others at home. I picked up some stuff I could fire from it as well, and when I run out, I could just use rocks… It's a stupid idea isn't it?" His shoulders slumped. I just gaped at him for a moment, and then shook my head.

"No, not stupid at all. Just…surprising." He grinned at that. "And I guess you're keeping your old shield?"

"Yup," he nodded, now helping me to shove the remaining weapons back into the main pile. I silently began to correct a few of the preconceptions I'd had about Hylians as I watched Rufus methodically check his weapons again, before piling them up on the empty bed, and flopping down on the floor next to me.

"Is it nearly done?" he asked, just managing to keep his voice this side of a whine. I concurred – my stomach was making itself heard more and more frequently, now that the smell of bacon was pervading the cabin.

"Aye, nearly," Marie responded, distractedly raking her hair away from her face as she used tongs to turn over the pieces of bread she was toasting on a rack over the eggs and bacon. "If you two wouldn't mind clearing some space and getting some plates?" With an exaggerated sigh, Rufus clambered to his feet,

"If we must." He set about removing his carefully piled items, and after I'd delved into the cupboards in order to retrieve the crockery, cutlery and other such things that we needed, I helped him to stack them neatly by the door. Just as we'd placed the last item, the pirate began plating up the food with gusto, even humming a little bit under her breath.

* * *

"I hope you don't mind milk - its all we've got in," Marie chirped, handing each of us a plate of steaming food, and glasses of surprisingly cold milk. I just smiled rather than answering, as food was the most important thing to think about at that very moment. Shadow made an affirmative sound in the back of her throat, before turning away to face the wall. Knowing by now that she didn't like her face to be seen (though I'd yet to ask why that was), I patted the space between us on the bed: Marie plonked down in the middle facing me, adding a companionable nudge to the Sheikah as she did so. Shadow nudged back and then dug into her food with gusto. 

Marie carefully balanced her plate on her knees with one hand, using the other to grab her milk, which she gulped down in one go. "Cooking's thirsty work you know!" she said at my surprised look.

"So I see," I grinned.

We didn't speak much for a good few minutes after that, content to wolf down our meals in silence. Shadow and I were especially hungry, considering we hadn't eaten a real meal for days, and Marie kept up with us well enough.

It was only when I was using the last of my toast to mop up the yolk of my eggs that Marie spoke again of her misgivings about The Plan. That's what it had become in my head - The Plan.

"Now, I don't mind the dancer myself, but I do worry about the both of you - how do you know you won't go blundering straight into him? I mean," she turned to look over her shoulder at Shadow, who was just tying her facemask back on, "it's not like you've ever been here before, is it?"

"No I haven't," Shadow frowned, "but I know I saw a good thicket of trees…during the…" she trailed off, obviously not wanting to talk about it again. "Look, don't worry - I know I can get us there."

"What is he's waiting for you though? He was able to get at you before…what if he already knows your plan?" the pirate sat back so that she could look between the both of us. I blanched at the idea, but, strangely, felt more annoyed that she was questioning us, than afraid of what we were about to do.

"We'll just have to hope he isn't, won't we?" I looked to my Sheikah companion. "I trust Shadow's judgement, and so should you!" The pirate's cheeks pinked. "Unless you want us to leave Red there with him, of course!"

"Of course I don't! How could you think that?"

"Well, the fact that you're even questioning it-"

"_Stop it_." Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, but it caught Marie and me off guard. We both fell silent: looking at the Sheikah, I found that she seemed larger than usual… Not that was really any bigger at all…more that she seemed to occupy more space than she really should… "Arguing won't do us any good." Suddenly, she looked like her normal self again, and I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. "I'll just make sure I've got what you'll need in my pack," this she directed solely at Marie.

With that, she slid off the bed, and I noticed that the wood where Shadow had been leaning was slightly scorched. The pirate noticed it as well - we exchanged looks, wondering what had just happened.

…

Much later on, after we'd had a round of sandwiches and soup to keep our strength up, Marie announced that it was probably time to start getting ready. I carefully began assembling all my stuff and strapping it on - Shadow was, of course, already done with her own preparations, and was starting to help Marie get ready. She had already bought out various pieces of cloth from her seemingly-bottomless bag: the pirate watched her every move, single eye widening with horror at each new item.

"Here we are!" The Sheikah flourished an impossibly small looking piece of indigo fabric proudly: the (thankfully empty) glass Marie was holding fell from her grip onto the bed-covers.

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Well, it is only the cut-off version: the other is covered in potion… It's a size larger than I normally have, which is good, because you've got a longer torso that me, so it should give you more leeway…" she stopped when the pirate took the garment from her hands and examined it.

"This is _bigger_ than usual?" she gasped, draping it on her lap: it barely covered her knees.

Shadow didn't seem to notice Marie's distress. "Don't worry, the material stretches to fit," she tugged the cloth around her forearm to show what she meant, "almost like a second skin really. Very practical," she began gathering the rest of the outfit together in one neat pile. "You don't have to worry about getting snagged on things, or being grabbed, or anything like that."

"That's all well and good for a race of trained fighters, but I'm a Hylian - I can't wear this!" I looked between the two of them,

"Why not?" As far as I could see, there wasn't that much difference between Shadow and Marie, apart from height.

"Well, look at her!" the pirate spluttered, gesturing to Shadow, who was tearing strips off a roll of bandages. "Not an extra scrap of meat on her, and me…well…" she slapped her own belly and smiled ruefully.

"You're being ridiculous," Shadow chided. "Who exactly will see you for it to matter? Besides, for a Hylian, you're quite trim - you were a dancer once, weren't you?" Marie looked as surprised as I did by this question. _:Marie was a dancer? How would she know that?:_ The pirate echoed my thoughts exactly.

"How did you know that?"

"Oh, Red mentioned something about it."

"I see." Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't press any further.

"Does it matter? All you need to know is that these _will_ fit you well enough: but if you want to get it right, you'll want to start now." With that, the Sheikah thrust the lengths of bandage, as well as a white over shirt, into Marie's outstretched arms.

"Rufus."

"Huh?"

"You might want to let Marie get changed." The smile was obvious in her voice as she nudged open the cabin door. The sky was overcast and the sea reflected murky grey: it wasn't raining yet, but looked like it would soon. It was dark enough to be late evening, though I knew it couldn't even be midday yet! "Can you bring a couple of blankets?"

"Yeah, sure." I quickly stripped the blanket from the bed, and accepted the other that Marie handed to me. "Thanks," I grinned over my shoulder as I clambered up the stairs. Just before I shut the door, I called back, "Good luck!" her soft laughter followed me out onto the deck. Looking about, I spotted Shadow in the prow, leaning out over the water, eyes closed.

"Hoy there!" I went to join her, standing off to the side and enjoying the view of the rushing waves. "We're making good speed - won't be long now," she informed me as she dropped back down onto the deck. "Though I'm not sure the same could be said about Marie…"

"Think she'll take long then?" I followed her as she went to lean against the cabin walls, which shielded us from the worst of the winds.

"Well, I suppose when you're not used to it, Sheikan garb isn't the easiest stuff to wear." I handed her a blanket, "thanks," which she wrapped around her shoulders. "It doesn't have to be perfect, but I would like it to look as close to the real thing as possible."

"Anything that'll give us time is good," I agreed, tucking my own blanket into a secure cocoon. "I just hope it's enough."

"It'll have to be," she patted my arm. It was weird how comfortable we'd become with each other over the last few days… For some reason, I didn't see her as the type to easily make friends, and smiled to myself, realising that she _was_ my friend, not just my travelling companion. "Let's not think about it for now, eh?" She leant her head back and closed her eyes. "Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" I copied her actions, though kept my eyes open, and stared up at the dreary sky.

"Oh, I don't know - you choose."

"Urm…" I thought for a little while, trying to decide how much I could ask her, and what I wanted to know the most. "Oh, I've got one! How did you learn how to fight - I mean, who taught you and all that? I just learnt from Orca - he was a Knight once you see - but that's all the training I ever got, and you've obviously had a lot more than me. And how come you can speak so many languages - how did you learn those? And what's your home like - your family - do you have brothers and sisters-?"

"Hang on, hang on, slow down!" Shadow laughed. "I shall need to start writing these down if you carry on like that!"

"Sorry," I flushed, "guess I got a bit carried away." She shook her head, opening her eyes to look sidelong at me,

"No, no, don't worry. I'll answer all of them eventually - only if I get to ask a few of my own, of course…"

"Of course!" I agreed at once, hardly able to believe that she was actually willing to answer my questions.

"Good… Look, for now, what say I tell you how I learnt to fight, OK?"

"OK." I shuffled, settling myself to listen.

"Well, I started very young - say around seven - at the training grounds on Opacus…

…I was just about to gain my colours as a warrior when Red came to get me. So, I'm not really officially a warrior, but I have all the skills, so it doesn't really matter that much I suppose…" she rubbed her hands together, just like she had a good few times over the last half hour or so. We'd had an interesting discussion, comparing how we'd both learnt how to fight, and I was amazed by the fact that our experiences weren't so different as I'd thought they'd have been. Shadow had just had her training in a much more intense way… And my mind still boggled at the idea of so many people learning how to fight together: I was just about to ask another question, when a timid voice came through the door to our right.

"Urm…Shadow? Can you hear me out there?"

"Yes, what is it?" She inclined her ear towards the door, brows knitting together in worry.

"Oh, no - not to worry - I was just wondering about the bandages… Can't seem to get them to stay…" We exchanged looks, and then Shadow rolled her eyes, which made me smile.

"Do you want me to talk you through it?"

"Would you?"

"All right then - we'll start on your arms." She held her left arm out in front of her, and found the end of the bandages there. Carefully, she half unravelled them, and then began to talk again. "Right, first, tie a slip knot loop in one end of the bandage, and slip it over your arm to the elbow-"

"Hang on, hang on!"

"I get the feeling this might take a while," the Sheikah said in an undertone to me. I just grinned and lay back against the worn wood of the boat again, closing my eyes and listening to the conversation between the two of them.

* * *

"I look ridiculous." 

"_Please_ come out," Rufus wheedled, hovering agitatedly by the door behind which Marie presumably stood.

"Isn't there anything else-?"

"No, there isn't," I chipped in exasperatedly, lurching away from my perch on the railing, and grabbing hold of the door handle. I tugged, only to find that the pirate had locked the door. "Marie, open the door;" it was beginning to get a little tiresome now, considering that I'd had to direct her on how to get into Sheikah garb through the door for almost half an hour. No doubt, she'd probably managed to put something on backwards, or some such nonsense…

"No," she answered, "it's embarrassing." Rufus put a hand on my shoulder, and I nodded, stepping out of the way to give him another go.

"Marie, please come out - we really appreciate your doing this, but we need to hurry, so that we can make the most of the day." I managed to restrain myself from foot-tapping, and instead settled for fiddling with the strap of the new quiver resting over my shoulders. It felt comforting to be fully armed once more: bow resting on one hip, whip on the other, and my daggers now with new holsters on the outside of my boots. On my other shoulder I bore the small shield I'd picked out earlier, and then there were the various hidden weapons secreted about my person: throwing stars, Deku Nuts, needles and so on.

The lock clicked open, and slowly, Marie emerged, clutching her old greatcoat around herself defiantly. "You are not to laugh," she informed us stiffly. I could see her feet, clad in soft skin boots (very similar to the ones I wore), and her toes were curled slightly, legs crossed at the ankle. Other than the boots, I could see nothing for the greatcoat. Obviously, she was waiting for us to agree.

"Of course we won't laugh!" Rufus assured her - the sincerity of his voice made me turn to look at him. "I mean, let's consider what I've been wearing since I left home," he added self-deprecatingly with a small grin. "I don't think I can really laugh, given the situation, can I?" The pirate woman smiled tightly at this, and then looked at me.

"I'll not laugh - though I believe I will probably spend a great deal of time retying those bandages, since you refused to let me do it from the start." Marie had the grace to look bashful, though she just repeated her earlier sentiment that,

"There are some scars that would shock even you, Shadow."

"Be that as it may, I need - we need to check you," I corrected myself after a companionable nudge from Rufus, who had been the one to persuade Marie in the first place, after all.

"All right, all right!" She carefully shucked the greatcoat in such a way that it kept her completely covered until the last moment. Then, with a frustrated sound, she hooked the coat over the door handle, and stood awkwardly, hands dangling, eye averted to the floor and a flush on her cheeks.

_/Well, that _is_ surprising/_ Dragmire breathed, popping into my mind at precisely the wrong time. _/Perhaps I shouldn't have been so hasty all those years ago…/_ The lust was evident in his voice, and I felt a small stab of…

_:Of what? 'Jealousy'? You really _have_ gone mad!:_ I berated myself, frowning at Dragmire's amused chuckle.

_/Don't fret my dear - I have always been rather fonder of your kind than the Hylians…and young blood is always much more invigorating after all./_ The odd combination of disgust and jealousy settled uncomfortably in the pit of my stomach, and I did my best to ignore his further chatter as I went to tweak the pirate's fumbled bandages.

Her body was still that of a dancer, though now more rounded as a woman's body is supposed to be - nothing like the angular lines and spareness of my own frame. The eye of truth was stretched tight over her chest, slightly distorted but still recognisable. Her stomach was a flat plane, and her legs and hips were shapely in a way that I knew mine would never be. Marie was an hourglass, where I was almost boyish.

_/You are, however, a rather womanly specimen of your race…absolutely delicious, round, pert-/_ I cut him off sharply, flushing.

"You did pretty well with these for a first time," I informed Marie, who was holding herself upright, looking anywhere other than myself and the Hylian. "You carry it off rather well," I added, tamping down the jealous feeling in order to try and reassure her. She relaxed minutely. "Though I wouldn't suggest permanently changing your style." She grinned at that, and managed to look me in the face.

"Don't worry about that. I don't think I could handle doing that every morning!" We both chuckled at that.

"Land!" Rufus exclaimed, having sequestered himself in the prow whilst Marie and I were making our final adjustments. Turning, I saw the shadowy outline of Greatfish Isle through the misting rain. The pirate's warm hand sought mine and I accepted it without protest. My own palm was clammy with sweat, and she squeezed it, as much for her own reassurance as for mine.

"OK?" I murmured, dropping her hand and looking over my shoulder at her. In answer, she just grabbed the loose cowl and secured it over her face. The bandages were already on her head; her white bangs were close enough to my own hair colour in the gloom for it to work. Hopefully, the weather and the rain would make the differences between our builds negligible, or else this was all for naught.

"Get that sail down to half," the pirate ordered, breaking the tableau, Rufus immediately bounded over to help. I rifled through my mind, making all the calculations and checks over again.

_/He'll either all for it, or he won't. Having known him, I'd say that you have a very slim chance…unless of course you happened to have a complete piece of the Tri-Force-/_

_:Desist with that nonsense: _I snapped, seeking out the cold metal of the amulet bequeathed on me by the great fairy so very many weeks before. The cold metal against my fingers, and the tiny spark that ran across the connection served to calm me slightly. _:We have survived thus far, and I do not plan to either help your, or myself, to the Tri-Force.:_

_/Even when it's so close to being within your grasp…?/_ he wheedled, managing to force my eyes onto Marie before I regained full control of my faculties.

_:If you're so eager for me to survive, perhaps you should let me be,: _I countered, fingers running over the amulet once more for luck. It provided another spark, and I suddenly grinned, feeling comforted by the warm tingle of magic thrumming through my entire being. It felt almost intoxicating, after such a long time without…

_/Just think how much more 'magic' I could make available, if you were to accept the gift of the Tri-Force piece,/_ Dragmire coaxed, the double entendre clumsily formed, to make me blush yet again. _/If it gives you pleasure, pet…/_ he trailed off and I could almost see the suggestive leer on his face.

_:Have you honestly nothing better to do than torment me?:_ I huffed, springing away from my slouch against the cabin wall, in order to hep fold the sail down: our speed was greatly reduced and we drifted slightly on the currents.

_/There are plenty of things that I would much rather do,/_ he purred, _/but you are correct/_ he conceded. _/If I am to do those things, you would be best left alone, if there's any chance at all of your survival./_ He paused, and I felt his mood shift from overt flirtation into something suspiciously like worry. _/Do not take too many risks Sheikah - after all, I would enjoy the opportunity to spar face-to-face./_ There was the gentlest of pressures on my right cheek, like an ephemeral hand brushing against it; then he was gone.

I exhaled shakily, feeling spent after the brief encounter. A hand (very real this time) covered my own on the sail rope, which I still held tightly. "Shadow?" It was Rufus - I relaxed slightly, and looked down to meet his eyes. "Are you OK?"

"As OK as I can be, considering," I answered before my mind had the chance to censor my thoughts. _:Drat.:_ Surprisingly, he just smiled and withdrew his hand.

"Good to know - and same here."

"Aye, make that for three," Marie said, taking the rope from my hands and tying it off. "And I suppose we need to be starting soon?" She fidgeted a little, hands flapping as she played with a frayed piece of bandage on her wrist.

"Yeah, we do." I pictured in my mind the scene from last night's vision - or perhaps 'transportation' was a better word for it…? No matter… I pictured the lake at which we'd ended up, and the woods that surrounded much of the enormous body of water. They were our best hope for staying hidden. _:If only I'd been paying more attention, I could have picked the best place for teleportation.:_ But, as it was, at least I knew I could take us immediately into cover.

"I'm ready when you are," the Hylian had already strapped on his weaponry. "Marie?" The pirate had hopped around to the stern, where was manning the rudder, steering us back on course after our drifting.

"Aye lad?"

"Will you lay out those new clothes for me, for when I get back?" The pirate gave a tight grin (the cowl was back down, evidently too warm for her) and nodded.

"Aye, I'll do that…and for you?"

I blinked. "I hadn't realised there were any for me…"

"I picked up a few, just in case." The idea of myself in pirate garb was ridiculous, but I fully understood what the pirate was really asking. 'Are you going to come back? Will you make it out alive?' What we were doing _was_ horribly dangerous after all…

"Yes, lay some out for me as well," I nodded, and the grin became a little more genuine. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Rufus, who had been silent through this exchange, came to life once more. He hurried around the side of the cabin, and threw his arms around Marie's shoulders (or at least, tried to, and settled for her upper arms instead).

"Good luck. We'll see you later." After a stunned moment, she hugged the Hylian back.

"See you later," she answered, eyes darting to me as well. I nodded, and delved my hand into the pouch in which I stored my Deku-Nuts. Now that I could see individual trees on the shoreline, it was time to go; this would be the furthest I'd ever attempted to teleport (and with another person tagging along!), yet, somehow, I knew I'd be able to do it.

Rufus extricated himself and came over to hook his arm through my free one: we needed to be touching in order for both of us to end up in the same place. "Ready?" I raised the Deku-Nut above my head. Rufus' grip became tighter still, fingers digging desperately into the flesh of my arm.

"Ready," he nodded; I noted that his eyes were closed.

"OK."

"Wait!" I managed to catch myself just before the nut fell. "I almost forgot!" The pirate hopped down from the rudder, and hurried over to her coat. She drew out the shining golden shard I'd been craving, and shoved it into my free hand. "I hope it helps."

"Thank you." I quickly pocketed it, and after a moment's pause, I let the Deku-Nut fall. I closed my eyes, picturing again the trees by the lake. The flash lit through my eyelids. There was the normal, strange, jerking, tearing sensation as we were torn away from one place and immediately dropped down in another. Then, there were a few moments of silence, in which Rufus loosened his grip, and then stepped away from me.

I opened my eyes. Blinked a few times. Shut my eyes. Opened them again. Looked at Rufus. Exchanged a glance of extreme puzzlement.

"You certainly took your time."

* * *

_  
Oh my goodness, what a boring chapter! Though I have given you a cliff hanger to make up for the general dullness… And the next chapter will be a lot more interesting, I promise! There'll be a few characters that you'll recognize, and of course, the villainous Shade. Will their plan work (indeed, what is their plan? Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it!) And, who have our two intrepid adventurers just run into? Friend or foe?_

_More updates, more often. I do believe the writer's bloc has lifted, so here's hoping! _


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